The Premier League has altered the summer transfer window to help clubs taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup.
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Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Premier League rivals will all be able to get a head start on transfer dealings this summer with the Premier League giving the green light to an earlier opening of the window.
The Premier League transfer window ran from June 14 to August 30 last summer. The period when top flight clubs can complete deals will now take place over two separate periods this summer due to the FIFA Club World Cup.
That change has been made to benefit Chelsea and Manchester City ahead of the tournament but will also see the opportunity to complete signings as early as June 1 extended to all Premier League clubs.
When does the summer transfer window open for Premier League clubs?
The summer transfer window for Premier League clubs will now be open in two separate periods. The first is between Sunday, June 1 and Tuesday, June 10. The second is between Monday, June 16 and Monday, September 1.
A Premier League statement on Thursday read: “Premier League clubs have today agreed the dates for the Summer 2025 Transfer Window.
“The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the FIFA Club World Cup. It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.”
The first fixtures of the Premier League season will kick off on the weekend of August 16. That means that the window will remain open and allow clubs to complete business during the early rounds of top flight fixtures, as was the case this season.
How the Club World Cup has changed the transfer window
The transfer window has changed this summer in order to allow Premier League clubs taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup to sign players ahead of the competition. The tournament takes place between June 14 and July 13 in the United States.
The FIFA Council had already approved the interim window in October. A FIFA statement explained: "The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players' participation."
In the interests of fairness, the governing body has since extended the early transfer window period to be applicable for all Premier League clubs and not simply those involved in the Club World Cup.
Which Premier League clubs are involved in the Club World Cup?
Chelsea and Manchester City are the only two Premier League clubs competing at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer. Places in the tournament are decided by European teams’ performance in the Champions League over the past four seasons.
Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021 and Manchester City lifted the trophy in 2023, which has helped them qualify for the Club World Cup. Real Madrid, who won the Champions League in 2024 and 2022, have also qualified. The rest of the nine places available for European teams were given out through a Uefa ranking system.
Only two clubs from any one nation are permitted to enter into the Club World Cup, which is why teams including Liverpool and Arsenal were not considered with Chelsea and Manchester City already ushered in. The FIFA Club World Cup groups are as below:
Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club Leon
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg
In other news, Arsenal have been handed an Alexander Isak transfer opportunity amid Newcastle United contract claim.