When does Summer Market 2023 close?
For the Premier League, as well as other top European leagues, the 2023 summer transfer window will close on Friday (1/9). Although on the same day, but the specific closing time in each tournament in accordance with different time frames.
In particular, clubs in the UK can complete purchases at 23:00 September 1 (local time), that is, at 05:00 September 2 Vietnamese time. The Spanish La Liga also closes the transfer during this period.
In France, the market closes 1 hour earlier, that is, at 22:00 on September 1st. Meanwhile in Italy 1 September 19:00. The German Bundesliga is a major European tournament that will end before anyone else – at 17:00 on September 1, that is, at 23:00 Vietnamese time.
There are several countries where the market is closed after September 1st, including Belgium (September 6th), Mexico (September 13th), Qatar (September 18th) and the UAE (September 21st).
And what about Saudi Arabia?
There has been some confusion as to when the transfer market in Saudi Arabia will close, with the World Football Federation (FIFA) giving a September 20 deadline. However, the most influential body in world football allows the member federations to decide on the market closing date within a certain period of time. According to the latest information, the website of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) states that the deadline for clubs in the Saudi Pro League to purchase players is the end of September 7th.
Thus, the Saudi Pro League will have about a week to try to attract European stars to the Middle East to play football. Faced with this situation, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal player Mikel Arteta voiced criticism. Striker Mohamed Salah is currently of particular interest to Al Ittihad, as well as interest in midfielder Gabriel Magalhães.
When asked if it was fair for Saudi Arabian professional league clubs to keep buying players after the UK transfer market closed, Klopp candidly replied: “No. Since they are competitors now, I think we should change that.” “Clearly the Premier League teams are at a very disadvantageous position as they could lose their stars entirely to the Saudi Pro League clubs, thus facing many roster risks.
Once the star is lost when the transfer market closes, Premier League teams will of course not be able to add new people. It’s usually good for the Premier League to play the first few rounds while the summer transfer market is still underway, because clubs will figure out what holes need to be added in the rest of the market. However, when the threat from the Saudi Pro League grows, not closing the market at the same time can lead to unpredictable consequences.
By this point in the summer of 2023, the Saudi Pro League has recruited 20 stars from the old continent, including big names like Karim Benzema, Neymar, N’Golo Kante, Marcelo Brozovic, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Jordan. Henderson, Aymeric Laporte or Sadio Mane. With huge ambitions comparable to the world’s top leagues, the Saudi Pro League will certainly not stop, but instead continue to cover Europe for the few remaining days of the summer 2023 market.
What can clubs do after the deadline?
Trying to close a deal hours or minutes before the deadline, Premier League teams sometimes have to rush to complete the paperwork. If an agreement has been agreed by all parties before the 23:00 deadline, teams can send a “sales report” to the Premier League organizers saying they need more time, up to 2 hours.
If hours are extended, Premier League clubs will have until 1:00 am Saturday (September 2) to complete and submit all paperwork. However, in the case of international transfers, the FIFA Transfer Connectivity System (TMS) takes precedence and expires before midnight. After the expiration date, the player can only move to a league where the transfer market is still open.
It is noteworthy that free agents can join a new club at any time.
Salah will get a bad rap if he leaves Liverpool for Saudi Arabia
Former striker Chris Sutton has been candid about Mohamed Salah’s ability to leave Liverpool and play in Saudi Arabia. He said: “I don’t think Mo Salah can leave Liverpool now and go to Saudi Arabia. It’s just a matter of time. There are only a few days left until the end of the transfer market. I think Salah will become famous. Badly. If he decides to leave Liverpool, he will leave the club in a difficult situation. If this was a deal that happened a month ago or five or six weeks ago, then this is understandable. If Salah leaves now, it would be a real slap in the face for Jurgen Klopp, the man who truly made Salah a world-class player. Obviously, I feel that Salah is indebted to Klopp.”