Europe's 11 leading football leagues have agreed a common set of dates to conduct player transfers, the continent's governing body UEFA announced today.
The move, which would cover both national and international transfer dealings, was agreed at a meeting of UEFA's Professional Football Committee.
Transfers would be conducted twice a year under the proposals, which still need to be approved by UEFA's executive committee, during the European summer and winter.
The first period would run from the end of the domestic season to August 31st, and the second from January 1st to January 31st.
For countries with seasons based on the calendar year, such as Scandinavia, the periods would be July 1 to August 31st, and December 15th to January 31st.
The 11 leagues belong to Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.