The pandemic affect: How this transfer window will be different from others?

COVID-19 had a worldwide reach and a negative impact globally. With this in mind, how badly has the sweeping pandemic affected this summer’s transfer window?

It was all going good in the English Premier League. Teams were reaching the home stretch but then Mikel Arteta was affected by the Coronavirus and then season came to a halt. However, with the situation getting eased in the UK, the Premier League will restart from June 17.

Despite the league getting back, multiple things will be swayed post-COVID for football. Among those, the transfer window is going to top the list. The games will be played behind closed doors for the rest of the season and are expected to continue for at least the rest of 2020 as such.

With no fans in the stadiums, the ticket revenues, revenues associated with merchandise deals will drastically fall. The drastic fall in income will result in a cash crunch for the clubs. The cash crunch will adversely affect the transfer window too.

According to reports published in Evening Standard, the lockdown is going to lose a revenue of around £1 billion. This would further rise with the reversal of furlough decisions by the clubs and reduced ticket and merchandise sales.

These factors contribute to the changing nature of the summer transfer window of the 2020-21 season.

Premier League clubs would buy required players only.

In the previous transfer windows, we have seen clubs going for an all-out buy and stacking up the options in attack, midfield and defence. One of the prime examples is Liverpool. They have stacked up the midfield with players like Naby Keita, Fabinho, Shaqiri and Wijnaldum.

However, things will change drastically in the current transfer window. Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in multiple strikers and are expected to sign at least one reliable striker like Timo Werner.

Although, Chelsea possesses the likes of Tammy Abraham. Frank Lampard’s side is guilty of not converting the chances completely. Chelsea might also sign an experienced defender as they lack a quality central defender.

On the other hand, even Liverpool was rumoured with Timo Werner, but reports suggest that they have opted out from the transfer due to the economic crisis.

Moreover, the Merseysiders posses lethal options like Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane upfront, along with Divock Origi and Minamino coming in as backups to the trio.

Promotion of youth and academy players

Clubs are often found guilty of not using their academy players and giving most of the first-team minutes, only. The players move out of the club and go on to become world-class players like Paul Pogba. However, the trend would stop now and more priority will be given to youth and academy players.

In the 2019/20 season, Manchester United and Chelsea have profusely used their academy players and have got the best out of them. The rise of Brandon Williams, Mason Greenwood, Callum Huson Odoi, Billy Gilmour and Mason Mount has raised the eyebrows of many.

In a win-win situation for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard, the youngsters have got the game time and have substantially reduced the burden on the club.

Seeing the positive aspect of academy players used in the 2019/20 season, several clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Tottenham would give prominence and preference to their youth players rather than signing star players abroad.

Increased loan deals and swap deals are expected to take centre stage.

To balance the books, clubs might look to go for loans and swap deals. The swap deal offers both clubs a way out of spending everything in cash. However, the major drawback of the swap deal is the evaluation of players from both sides. Both parties have to agree regarding the fee and wages of the player.

On the other hand, loan deals have been a recent trend in football. There will be no obligation to spend the money permanently which would be an economic burden for the club.

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Loan deal involves a small fee along with the player’s salary. In exceptional cases like that of Alexis Sanchez, the parent club has paid the significant portion of his wages in the deal.

The loan deals also comes with an option to buy. This would help the club to buy the player at the end of the season. Arsenal has signed Kierney Tierney on a long-term loan deal with an obligation to buy the player at the end of the season.

The clubs are facing daunting times and the blockbuster deals are less expected in the transfer window. The previous windows saw the clubs breaking the banks for their players, but it would not be the same.

The clubs would fill their jigsaw puzzle by adding one or two players, emphasizing on their youth and academy prospects. Is it the start of new things in the transfer windows or a once-off after the pandemic?