Arteta wants Saudi transfer window to end same time as Europe’s

Mikel Arteta (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP)

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has called for the Saudi Pro League transfer window to close in line with Europe’s – but refused to rule out selling players beyond September 1, reports irishexaminer.com.

Some of football’s top names have made the move to Saudi Arabia this summer, as PIF investment in four of the country’s top clubs has allowed for a vast increase in transfer fees.

Arsenal host Fulham in the Premier League today and, while the Gunners have not lost any of their squad to Saudi, their visitors will be without talismanic forward, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who moved to Al-Hilal last week.

Head coach, Marco Silva, rejected overtures from the Gulf before the start of the new season, while winger Willian was also unsettled by transfer speculation.

The Premier League window closes next Friday, but Saudi clubs will be able to sign and register new players until September 20, something Arteta believes needs to be addressed.

Asked if the extra two and a half weeks to conclude business was fair, the Spaniard replied: “No, because it is a competitor now. No, I think we have to change that.”

Pushed on whether the Pro League deadline should fall in line with Europe, Arteta continued: “That is my opinion, yes.

“It is another competitor and it brings other opportunities for players, for managers and for people that work in the industry to decide.

“In the end, we are free to decide when clubs, players or whoever has to agree to something, you have to have the intention to go and find agreements, that is why there are contracts.

“If people agree to go it is because someone agrees to go there but that someone agreed to sell him, so it goes two or three different ways.”

No Arsenal players have headed to