Thursday 12 September 2019 15:34, UK
Proposals to make the most significant changes to the European football calendar in a generation will be one of the key topics for discussion when the Premier League’s 20 clubs gather in central London on Thursday.
Shareholders, meeting for the first time in this campaign, will be given an update on the discussions taking place this week in Geneva at the European Club Association (ECA) as they consider UEFA's proposed changes to European competitions from 2024.
The Premier League, along with their counterparts in Spain, remain against many of the changes, fearing more Champions League matches between elite clubs will adversely affect domestic league and cup calendars.
Discussions will also focus on the key European Leagues Assembly, due to take place in London next month.
Sky Sports News understands the majority of Premier League clubs are keen on a return to a summer deadline day three weeks later than the present August 8 closure.
When changes were implemented last year it was expected European leagues would follow suit, with all competitions ending their transfer business before the start of their respective seasons.
However, that failed to materialise, leaving Premier League clubs exposed, allowing for their European counterparts to unsettle and, in some cases, sign players they would prefer to keep.
Thursday's discussion could well push through to a vote, although a lack of time pressure means that will more likely take place at their next meeting in November.
Either way, it looks increasingly likely that Deadline Day, summer 2020, will be after the start of the season.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck will update clubs on what has turned out to be a lengthy search for a new Premier League chief executive to replace Richard Scudamore, who left in November last year.
The search has proven to be a difficult one, with original headhunting firm Spencer Stuart ditched in the summer to be replaced by Russell Reynolds recruitment specialists.
The Premier League's initial choice was Susanna Dinnage, a senior executive from the Discovery Channel, who late last year accepted the role, only to withdraw a few days later.
On Thursday, the Premier League's 20 clubs will be updated on the progress of the recruitment process, with one report suggesting the net has been cast wider by Russell Reynolds to include management talent from across the globe, not necessarily with expertise in football or TV rights.
Clubs will be able to air their support or otherwise for the new Video Assistant Referees after four games of the Premier League calendar, with Neil Swarbrick having warned that it might take up to three years for everyone to adjust to VAR.
It is expected that the International Football Association Board's (IFAB) changes to the offside and handball rules, and how those changes have been applied, may also be up for debate.
Sky Sports News chief reporter Bryan Swanson:
'The summer deadline is expected to be a high-profile talking point. A growing number of clubs are unhappy after Europe failed to follow the Premier League's lead. The existing deadline, on the Thursday before the start of the season, has left them vulnerable to late bids from clubs in other major leagues, including La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga.
'Clubs wanted stability but, at times, the August 8 deadline created the opposite effect. In some instances, managers can think one thing, and their bosses can think differently. A healthy debate is usually encouraged but it is rare for clubs to strongly disagree with each other.
'Clubs are expected to discuss the issue but may not vote until a meeting in November. There is no rush. That said, according to sources, it is increasingly likely that next summer's Deadline Day will be after the start of the season.'
