Five of the Premier League’s big six clubs are using the break provided by the World Cup to attend a “transfer speed dating” event in Berlin next week.
The Premier League goes on a five-week hiatus following this weekend’s fixtures, giving clubs a chance to take stock of their plans ahead of the January transfer window. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are among more than 300 clubs who have chosen to attend the TransferRoom Summit in Germany.
Liverpool are sending sporting director Julian Ward, while Arsenal, United and City are sending their loan managers to represent the club at the event, which runs from November 14 to 16. Clubs will be given the chance to hold 12-minute face-to-face conversations which have been likened to speed dating due to their format.
Aston Villa, Leicester, Leeds, Southampton, Wolves, West Ham, Newcastle, Brighton, Brentford and Crystal Palace are among other Premier League clubs attending the event. Juventus, Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, Lyon, PSV Eindhoven are some of the major European sides who will be in the room, alongside clubs from all over the world.
TransferRoom is an online marketplace for football transfers which has facilitated more than 2,000 transfers since it was launched in 2017. More than 650 clubs from 60 countries and 100 leagues have used it to buy and sell players.
“Clubs have no time to rest during the break for the World Cup,” TransferRoom chief executive Jonas Ankersen said.
“The TransferRoom Summit is the perfect opportunity for our members to get down to business and lay the ground for a successful winter window. “We believe this unique event, in a unique season for football, will drive business in January and beyond.”
Ankersen spoke to Mirror Football earlier this year. "I saw how online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay were changing how the world did business and how sectors of the economy like real estate were evolving, thanks to digital platforms such as Zoopla," he said.
"In contrast, football looked stuck in its ways and the transfer market, unlike the housing market, seemed really inefficient. I thought I would try to bring the system into the 21st century."
He added: "The whole idea of TransferRoom is that it is a complete ecosystem that enables clubs of all different sizes, from different countries and different levels of football, to work together. Lesser-known players sometimes just need to make the right move at the right time to set them on a new path in their careers.
"TransferRoom enables them, their agent, their current club and new potential employers to connect and to strike a deal that works for everyone."
