Monday 11 September 2017 07:13, UK
European clubs will "feast on" Premier League players when the transfer window deadline changes, says journalist John Cross.
Clubs have voted in favour of closing the transfer window before the start of the domestic season, which will come into force before the start of the 2018/19 season.
The summer transfer window will now shut at 5pm on the Thursday before the first game of the season but the change will only affect incoming signings.
This means clubs elsewhere in Europe will be able to buy until August 31, and with Premier League teams unable to sign replacements, Cross can foresee problems for those who have highly-coveted players.
"It will leave the Premier League clubs at a greater disadvantage because of that three-week period where the bigger clubs in Europe will feast upon the Premier League," Cross said on the Sunday Supplement.
"It's all well and good clubs saying they won't be selling a player, but it doesn't help at all.
"I think it's a really bad move.
"Liverpool have handled the Philippe Countino situation brilliantly with their firm stance, but you can't convince me that shutting the window early would've stopped Barcelona unsettling Coutinho. The changes won't take away the saga involved."
However, Rob Draper of the Mail on Sunday disagreed with Cross and is in favour of the change.
He said: "I hate the fact that Alex Oxlade Chamberlain can play one game for Arsenal against Liverpool, then play for Liverpool the next week.
"It's messy. If there's a deadline, then why can't it be three weeks earlier? It's not that deals start on June 1, deals for next season are already being planned now. Just get it done. There will still be drama. That's where the drama should be - you get your business done and away we go for the season."
