There have been suggestions the matter will be raised at a Premier League meeting next week, with many chairmen seemingly opposed to the concept.

The idea is to bring more stability and provide greater assurances for players. Instead, it has turned into a cattle market as an unseemly scramble to bring in new players, or hold on to existing ones, gathers pace throughout the months as clubs start to worry about challenges at the top and bottom of the league.

Some have decided enough is enough. And while the item is not currently on the agenda for next week's meeting, it seems certain to be discussed in some form.

Practically, scrapping the transfer window is a non-starter as it would wreck FIFA's stated aim of a unified policy across the globe - and the world governing body have today ruled out any changes to the system.

Ferguson, who has effectively been working with transfer windows for years given the deadlines in place for the Champions League, does not feel the whole system should be scrapped just because English clubs find it an inconvenience.

"When they brought the January transfer window in it was to bring us in line with the rest of Europe so why should they change?" said Ferguson.

"Maybe it is a problem to English teams because we have more transfers than any other country and there are more agents here.

"It can be frustrating when you come to January and there is a panic. But I don't see that as a reason to change it."

Ferguson has only bought two players this month; Serbian youngsters Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic.

However, in previous years he has used it as an opportunity to bring in players who will be a major part of his plans the following season, notably 2005 when he signed Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow and Patrice Evra from Monaco.

A senior FIFA source revealed the system was agreed with the European Commission, UEFA and players' unions and all bodies would have to agree to any changes.

The FIFA source told PA Sport: "The Premier League cannot impose unilateral changes to the transfer window - it would have to be agreed by all the organisations including FIFA, UEFA and the EC."

Blackburn chairman John Williams wants transfers only to be allowed to take place in the summer.

Williams told PA Sport: "I'm not a fan of the January window - but I'm even less a fan of the window being permanently open.

"I could be persuaded of the radical view of only allowing transfers in the summer unless there was an emergency need, for example for a goalkeeper.

"But I accept we could not do this unilaterally in the UK."

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is strongly opposed to the January window.

Quinn said: "In my time as chairman this has been the most demanding month - in fact it has surpassed all ridiculousness.

"The other day I heard someone say that football was losing the plot and I'm inclined to think that the removal of the January window might help the game to regain some sanity."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not a fan of the transfer window either.

The Frenchman said: "I do not like it. Every press conference is a bore about players who might come in rather than about the players who play and do something for the club.

"Others get too much importance at a part of the season where it is more important that you rely on people who fight for you than for those who might come in - that cannot be a great help for the club at the moment."