Southampton: Summer transfer window could be extended for Saints

Southampton and other clubs could be handed an extended transfer window at the end of the 2019/20 season to complete their dealings.

This is after a report from the Telegraph confirmed that talks to arrange a window between August and October have been held between Premier League shareholders.

With 92 top-flight games still to be played when league action returns in mid-June after the Coronavirus suspension, the campaign is set to finish in early August.

Normally the summer transfer window runs from July until the end of August, but this will not be the case this year given that clubs will still be completing their schedules during this time.

The postponement of the season has helped many people to stay safe and to bring about a decrease in the Covid-19 infection rate. However, this has also brought about many complications for English clubs to resolve.

Some players have contracts that run until the end of June and are due to become free agents, but clubs will still need them to play on through short-term deals until the 2019/20 campaign is complete.

More from Saints Marching

• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

This will affect four players currently on Saints’ books.

Shane Long is perhaps the most high-profile of these, and it has been reported that he is set for a contract extension after impressing this year.

Kevin Danso and Kyle Walker-Peters are on loan deals from Augsburg and Spurs respectively and will be needed by Saints until 2019/20 reaches its conclusion.

Goalkeeper Jack Rose does not look to have a future at St Mary’s and has spent this season on loan with League 2 side Walsall. He will probably need to be looking for a new club now to take him on a permanent deal once his Saints deal expires.

One good thing that has come from this current situation is that Saints and other clubs are actively helping youngsters to find new clubs with many things still unclear.

Whether this is also the case for more senior players like Rose is unknown, but it would certainly be against the club’s values just to leave any player to fend for themselves at this time.