Beyond the argument about whether recruiting young talent from another country is ‘stealing’ or if it’s a real method of stacking your academy with impressive footballers (see: Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal Academy v FIFA’s new 6+5 domestic player policy), comes the question of whether or not dozens of multi-million pound transfers are fair in the game.

To break it down further, and truly explain the thesis statement here, I’m rhetorically asking whether or not you agree with the ‘Chelsea’ policy of transferring in players from all over the world to satisfy the ‘two world-class players at every position’ policy that Jose Mourinho has brought to the London club.

The other side of it is to ask whether or not you agree with other elite clubs that recruit, train and play athletes who originate from the same country as the league they are playing in. An example of this could be Middlesbrough, who, despite their mixed success, actually fielded a raft of British players during the 2005/06 campaign. This wasn’t done to chide other clubs who have a cosmopolitan transfer policy, but more as a forced hand due to injuries and giving opportunities to younger players.

It’s pertinent to discuss this because the winter transfer window has passed and already we are seeing reports and gossip about which clubs are aligning themselves with other clubs, and which players are assumed to be pawns in a larger club's game. One large European club announces that they are beginning a ‘partnership’ with a more minute and lesser-known European club. This is followed by a honeymoon period, where no more mention of the partnership is given, and then the truth follows.

“(Insert massive European club here) have been linked with the transfer of (insert player) from (insert small, insignificant club here)”.

Don’t object to what I’m saying quite yet, because I’m not saying that it’s wrong. However, I’m more interested in watching clubs that have exciting young squads that live, train, play together and build a bond that is literally tangible in the way they play.

When a summer transfer window arrives, and a club that is already drowning in store-bought talent chooses to spend the same amount of money that could help rebuild a war-torn nation on new world-class talent, it both adds and subtracts to the excitement of the season to come.

I know that the club I support has millions to spend, and just may do so, having not really dipped into the transfer market much in the past two years. I’ll be honest when I say that there aren’t many players I’d like to see leave, and I’m hoping to watch the same players compete on all four fronts in the 2007/2008 year.

If you’re starved for success, and you’re looking to make an impact domestically, or on the European front, the transfer window seems to be the most literal translation of ‘change'.

However, it is the opinion of this author that to create the dynamism, the celebratory logo-kissing, fan-hugging, team-mate-embracing, on-field excitement that we all thrive on as football fans, you have to remember to keep together what you’ve already got.

Would amending the transfer window make a difference to the Premiership? Send your views to Sportingo.