Transfer Question

So we can't pay a fee for a player means free agents or free loans.

Are we allowed to sign contracts where they state a future fee. For example 6month free loan and then buy. This can't be the case or the ban is kind of useless?

Well it's within the rules but it depends whether the EFL see this as not entering into the spirit of the sanction.

I was wondering this the other day, too. Personally I think we can get around it.

When I looked at the the EFL regulation 52.6, it says "the club shall not to be permitted to pay or commit to pay any Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee or Loan Fee or any other form of payment (other than a sell on fee) in respect of the registration of any Player".
Does loan with an option to buy involves commitment of payment? Yes it does, but the regulation is "in respect of the registration of any player", we are registering the player on a standard loan for this window without paying any fees upfront.

However, even if EFL deemed this is not a breach of their regulations, we will find it hard negotiating with clubs who want to balance their books in this window.

So no then thanks for the info. It would have to be a gentleman's agreement... Our history with Nante will not get many people shaking on that.

Not sure if what is known as a cross option or double option agreement is allowed in EFL contracts. These are where both parties have the option to exercise the option to sell/buy. If they are allowed a selling club would have the comfort that they can trigger the option at the end of the season. Maybe someone who is more into the league stuff could comment?

So no then thanks for the info. It would have to be a gentleman's agreement... Our history with Nante will not get many people shaking on that.

Again you make an unqualified statement without insight to the reality, which is that clubs will do the best business they can at any time...

How do you think we got the likes of Kaba, Kipre, Philogene, Drameh, Tommy Doyle, etc...?

There are lots of ways around this - clubs just need to think outside the box.

Let's use Kipre (Say £500k) as an example.

We offer to loan him for 6 months with a view to a January purchase for £500k.

WBA want the £500k now but we can't pay it due to the EFL sanction.
- (But what if a company, say Tormen Finance, offers WBA a £500k interest-free loan if repaid within 12 months)
- (nothing illegal in that its just business)

WBA loaned the player to us
CCFC then pay WBA £500k in January to complete the transfer
WBA then repay Tormen Finance the £500k interest-free loan.

No-one is out of pocket

I was wondering this the other day, too. Personally I think we can get around it.

When I looked at the the EFL regulation 52.6, it says "the club shall not to be permitted to pay or commit to pay any Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee or Loan Fee or any other form of payment (other than a sell on fee) in respect of the registration of any Player".
Does loan with an option to buy involves commitment of payment? Yes it does, but the regulation is "in respect of the registration of any player", we are registering the player on a standard loan for this window without paying any fees upfront.

However, even if EFL deemed this is not a breach of their regulations, we will find it hard negotiating with clubs who want to balance their books in this window.

The EFL Regulations are some of the worst I've seen. The wording on most of it it highly ambiguous.

You regulation LITERALLY says "the club shall not be permitted to Pay..........in respect of the registration of any Player." How does that make sense.

When it says;

"the club shall not to be permitted to pay or commit to pay any Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee or Loan Fee or any other form of payment (other than a sell on fee) in respect of the registration of any Player".

This, to me, can mean, if you BUY a player you cannot commit to pay and the if you LOAN a player you cannot commit to pay.

Ambiguous when it comes to loaning a player for free and paying later.

You cannot pay a loan that is free and you cannot buy the that same player until the loan is over.

There are lots of ways around this - clubs just need to think outside the box.

Let's use Kipre (Say £500k) as an example.

We offer to loan him for 6 months with a view to a January purchase for £500k.

WBA want the £500k now but we can't pay it due to the EFL sanction.
- (But what if a company, say Tormen Finance, offers WBA a £500k interest-free loan if repaid within 12 months)
- (nothing illegal in that its just business)

WBA loaned the player to us
CCFC then pay WBA £500k in January to complete the transfer
WBA then repay Tormen Finance the £500k interest-free loan.

No-one is out of pocket

Also with out of contract players we can ‘pay’ the signing on fee by giving an extra say, 1K a week.

So no then thanks for the info. It would have to be a gentleman's agreement... Our history with Nante will not get many people shaking on that.

Again you make an unqualified statement without insight to the reality, which is that clubs will do the best buissness they can at any time...

How do you think we got the likes of Kaba, Kipre, Philogene, Drameh, Tommy Doyle, etc...?

Thanks mate great to hear from the qualified. The examples you give were all signed when there was no transfer fee embargo on us.

So my question to the qualified is how would the club structure a deal?

I was wondering this the other day, too. Personally I think we can get around it.

When I looked at the the EFL regulation 52.6, it says "the club shall not to be permitted to pay or commit to pay any Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee or Loan Fee or any other form of payment (other than a sell on fee) in respect of the registration of any Player".
Does loan with an option to buy involves commitment of payment? Yes it does, but the regulation is "in respect of the registration of any player", we are registering the player on a standard loan for this window without paying any fees upfront.

However, even if EFL deemed this is not a breach of their regulations, we will find it hard negotiating with clubs who want to balance their books in this window.

The EFL Regulations are some of the worst I've seen. The wording on most of it it highly ambiguous.

You regulation LITERALLY says "the club shall not be permitted to Pay..........in respect of the registration of any Player." How does that make sense.

When it says;

"the club shall not to be permitted to pay or commit to pay any Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee or Loan Fee or any other form of payment (other than a sell on fee) in respect of the registration of any Player".

This, to me, can mean, if you BUY a player you cannot commit to pay and the if you LOAN a player you cannot commit to pay.

Ambiguous when it comes to loaning a player for free and paying later.

You cannot pay a loan that is free and you cannot buy the that same player until the loan is over.

My reading of the regulation would be that whilst the embargo is in place (ie now) we cannot

1. Pay a fee for a player - in other words buy a player now.
2. Commit to buy a player - that to me means we cannot sign a player on loan now whilst also committing now to pay a fee for that player in January. Surely that arrangement means that the commitment to buy is being made now? We can't pull out in January as the commitment to pay in January is being made now which is in breach of the regulation.

I can see the argument that if we were to loan a player now with an option to buy in January that would be okay as no commitment is being made at this time but such a deal would not be as attractive for the lending club who would have to take the player back in January if we decided against exercising the option.

There are lots of ways around this - clubs just need to think outside the box.

Let's use Kipre (Say £500k) as an example.

We offer to loan him for 6 months with a view to a January purchase for £500k.

WBA want the £500k now but we can't pay it due to the EFL sanction.
- (But what if a company, say Tormen Finance, offers WBA a £500k interest-free loan if repaid within 12 months)
- (nothing illegal in that its just business)

WBA loaned the player to us
CCFC then pay WBA £500k in January to complete the transfer
WBA then repay Tormen Finance the £500k interest-free loan.

No-one is out of pocket

Also with out of contract players we can ‘pay’ the signing on fee by giving an extra say, 1K a week.

Scrap that. I’m pretty sure we can sign free agents and pay a signing on fee.

What about this EFL Regulation.

55.4.3 Temporary Loan Transfers may include an option to acquire the Player’s registration by way of permanent transfer. Any such option must be exercised during the term of the Temporary Loan Transfer (including during a Closed Period).

So no then thanks for the info. It would have to be a gentleman's agreement... Our history with Nante will not get many people shaking on that.

Again you make an unqualified statement without insight to the reality, which is that clubs will do the best buissness they can at any time...

How do you think we got the likes of Kaba, Kipre, Philogene, Drameh, Tommy Doyle, etc...?

Thanks mate great to hear from the qualified. The examples you give were all signed when there was no transfer fee embargo on us.

So my question to the qualified is how would the club structure a deal?

Paul Keevil has given a very good scenario that would pass the exam.

For me though its a grey area.