• The 2020 summer window will shut at 5pm on 1 September • For the past two years window has shut on eve of season

The Premier League has voted to revert to the same summer transfer window as Europe’s other major leagues after two years of going it alone.

A majority of top-flight clubs agreed to a window that closes after the season has begun. The change will take effect from this summer, when the window will close at 5pm on 1 September.

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For the past two years the transfer window has shut on the eve of the Premier League season. It was a change instigated by the clubs who felt a later window disrupted their performance at the beginning of the season.

It proved unsatisfactory for many clubs, particularly the “big six” who felt the early closure of the window, while other leagues stayed open, left them exposed to having players picked up by European rivals without the opportunity to replace them.

Manchester United and Tottenham, in particular, were frustrated at an inability to properly restructure their squads last summer. It was widely known that Spurs wanted to sell Christian Eriksen but were unable to strike a deal during the English window. A fear of losing the player without a replacement then meant a disgruntled Eriksen remained at Tottenham until January, when he moved to Internazionale.

The decision to revert to the previous system was made by the Premier League clubs at their regular shareholders’ meeting and was passed by a simple majority vote, a change from the normal procedure whereby any motion must pass with a two-thirds majority.

It is understood that a third proposal, which would have kept an early end to the window for deals between Premier League clubs, was never put to a vote. The Premier League season will start on 8 August, four weeks after the Euro 2020 final.

Liverpool’s chairman, Tom Werner, told Sky Sports News: “We felt it was in the best interests of the league to be in sync with the other leagues and extend the window until the end of August.

“I understood the reason for [bringing the deadline forward] but it put a lot of pressure on all of us to make decisions and it gave an advantage to other leagues, so it’s good to be consistent.”

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Werner also shared his thoughts on the debate over Brexit, where the Premier League and Football Association are believed to be at loggerheads over what regulations to adopt at the end of the year when the UK exits its transition arrangements.

The FA has been pushing for a higher quota of UK nationals in each Premier League squad, a move which some on the Premier League side see as a threat to the quality of the competition.

Werner said: “As far as we’re concerned, the Premier League is not just the strongest league in the world – it’s a great export for the UK so, whatever changes and considerations the government is making, hopefully they can take into account that the league itself should be protected.

“I feel like there are a lot of challenges in the world and the government should probably spend a bit of time elsewhere and protect the integrity and the quality of the league.”