Aston Villa: Transfer window should be axed - Martin O'Neill

Feb 7 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

Martin O'Neill

MARTIN O’Neill is glad that January is over after joining the calls for the mid-season transfer window to be scrapped.

The Villa boss believes making clubs do all of their wheeling and dealing in a four-week period is ‘claustrophobic’.

“Will the transfer window have a future? I hope not,” he said.

“It is a waste of a month. I accept that a couple of years ago it was fine for us. You don’t mind paying over the odds for someone if you think that you’re going to get long-term value, which has always been my view.

“But I think that they’ve got to look at this because it’s condensed. I’ve used the word ‘claustrophobic’ to describe it and I feel that’s exactly what it is.

“I see it serving no fantastic benefit.”

O’Neill suggests that a possible solution might be to extend the length of time the window is open.