There will be pals in pubs this week, with pints in hands, arguing over who should sign Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling.
Then that one mate will throw in his trademark horrific take, because his cousin’s barber’s neighbour heard Chelsea could sign Jamie Vardy. ‘Him? There? You’re getting the next round for that.’
Yet there was a time when transfer windows did not exist, all of English football having until the end of March to sign and sell. Now, these windows dominate the summer and winter discourse, the who-goes-where rumour mill in overdrive until deadline day brings hibernation.
But a debate is brewing. Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan has branded it a ‘ridiculous restriction of trade’, suggesting the two-window system should be scrapped.
We gathered our experts to discuss that very idea and began with the good, the bad and the ugly about having two transfer windows.
Hear from Sami Mokbel, Ian Ladyman, Matt Barlow, Mike Keegan, Kieran Gill, Chris Sutton and League Managers Association chairman Martin O’Neill below.
A debate is brewing over the transfer window with a hectic build-up to deadline day expected
Raheem Sterling is set to leave Chelsea after being frozen out by head coach Enzo Maresca
SAMI: For some supporters, victories in the transfer market are more euphoric than three points on a Saturday. In a social media age, it’s no longer a sub-plot. More the main storyline. There’s a sadness in that because it detracts from the actual football. But it undeniably provides supporters with thrilling entertainment, like daily episodes of your favourite soap opera.
IAN: I firmly believe the transfer window should stay. If it didn’t exist, clubs with money could buy players at the drop of a hat, just to cover for injury or loss of form. The down side is the summer window in particular can lead to a mad rush at the death. But it doesn’t have to be this way. How often do you see Manchester City splurging right at the end? Not very. The clubs who know what they are doing get their business done early and watch the others fight for players like seagulls scrapping for chips on a promenade.
CHRIS: You had to mention seagulls, didn’t you? Brighton have put Celtic in an awful position this week after snatching Matt O’Riley. The £25million they’re getting is nice, but it won’t be much use when they’re lining up to compete in the Champions League next month without their best player. Now Celtic have less than a week to…