[lesliemoss]

What exactly are the rules about transfer deals BEFORE the transfer window is officially open? How can deals appear to be made outside of the window...or am I missing something? Is it simply that deals can be negotiated but not actually signed until July 1 or later?

[claret50]

Originally Posted by lesliemoss

What exactly are the rules about transfer deals BEFORE the transfer window is officially open? How can deals appear to be made outside of the window...or am I missing something? Is it simply that deals can be negotiated but not actually signed until July 1 or later?

This is about all I can make of the system Les, hope it makes sense!

Premier League and SPL clubs have until midnight on Thursday, 31 January to sign players. English Football League and Blue Square Premier (Conference National) clubs have the same deadline for full transfers, but not for loans. Clubs in the English non-league pyramid below the Blue Square Premier are not bound by the transfer window system.

After midnight on 31 January, Premier League and SPL clubs cannot sign any players, on loan or full transfers, until the 2007/08 season is concluded in May. This window will stay open until midnight on 31 August.

Clubs in the Football League can sign players on loan outside of the transfer windows, following a seven-day period after the transfer window closes.

Outside of the transfer windows, any club may still sign players on an emergency basis (such as if they had no goalkeepers available) with the permission of their competition's governing body, ie the Premier League.

Players who are out of contract and do not have a club, can be signed outside of the transfer window if they are unattached free agents when the window closes.

[west_ham]

Thanks for that Claret, I was confused by this whole thing as well.

Originally Posted by claret50

After midnight on 31 January, Premier League and SPL clubs cannot sign any players, on loan or full transfers, until the 2007/08 season is concluded in May. This window will stay open until midnight on 31 August.

This suggests that the transfer window open sometime in May and not July 1st?!?

It also doesn't mention whether clubs can agree a deal without actually signing anything until the window opens. I suspect that this is allowed as the top four clubs seem to do it alot...