ALBION boss Chris Hughton has welcomed the early shutdown of the summer transfer window.

Trading closes at 5pm on August 9, the Thursday before the start of the new Premier League season, instead of August 31 after clubs voted for the change.

Hughton said: “If you speak to most managers, I certainly would have been one who would have voted for it to be before the start of the season.

“For us it’s by far the best thing. You know what your squad is and you’re able to get to work from that first day.

“I applaud it. Agents might say a little bit different and clubs might even say a little bit different but for us managers it’s ideal.”

The shift means the transfer window opens tomorrow instead of June 1 - but Hughton still expects most business to be done at the end.

He said: “It affects things and my gut feeling is they’ll be a percentage of transfers because of that which get done earlier.

“But transfer negotiations can be very difficult and on the percentages there generally aren’t too many that are straight deals organised very quickly. There are so many different connotations.

“I still think the majority of transfers will be done in that last week or the last couple of weeks.”

Albion’s transfer business last summer under head of recruitment Paul Winstanley paid off handsomely.

Mathew Ryan was ever-present in goal. Player of the Season Pascal Gross missed only two matches and Davy Propper five in influential contributions to Premier League safety. Jose Izquierdo also scored five goals in 32 appearances.

Hughton said: “It has worked out very well and not only have they made big contributions but they are also players who haven’t missed many games through injury. I’ve been delighted with the recruitment process we’ve had since I’ve been here.

“Even in the Championship seasons we improved in each window, most importantly in the first couple of windows because they brought in players who have been very much mainstays of the squad. It’s huge at any club, bringing in the right players and the right type of players.”

Stoke and Swansea both paid the price this season for poor recruitment as they were relegated.

Hughton added: “It certainly doesn’t get easier because everybody is so desperate to do well. Clubs are putting more into it now because everybody wants the opportunity to seize what they think are the better players, the better bargains, the more influential players.

“You work hard to try to bring the right type of individuals in, most importantly good players that want to work hard and train well. You want that togetherness as much as possible.”