The French Professional League (LFP) has announced that the summer transfer window will open earlier this year, due to the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.
In France, the transfer window usually opens in mid-June, about a month after the Ligue 1 season ends. However, this year, the window will open on June 1st, as announced by the LFP on Thursday. The reason given by the LFP is the upcoming Club World Cup, which will take place from June 14th to July 13th.
Opening the window earlier allows clubs participating in the competition, such as Paris Saint-Germain from France, to make new signings before the tournament. While this change might seem designed to help PSG, the only French team in the Club World Cup, all French clubs will be able to recruit players.
The closing date for the transfer window has not been decided yet. The LFP is currently discussing with other major European leagues to align the closing dates.