What A Club Must Do When Transferring A Player to Premier League

 

 

Most clubs would like to sell their player to a Premier league club. Not just because the transaction will attract a good bucks, but the player is likely to be in a global spotlight playing for a team in the most glamorous, most popular league in the world.

Transferring a player from your local club to a foreign club is referred to as international transfer. 

How do clubs begin process of completing a player transfer?

It is the buying club's management that usually contact the player's agent or the selling club to express their interest. And then, the selling club will give them a mandate regarding the player's status and current contract stipulations. 

1. Find out what clubs need to submit to the Premier League to sign a player? 

In order to register a player, clubs have to send the Premier League all the documents relating to the transfer, including the contract, the transfer agreement, permission to work in the UK (if required), international clearance if transferring from abroad as well as any transfer levy that may apply.

As the transfer deadline approaches, clubs are asked whether they are planning to complete any business so that the Premier League's Football Operations and Regulatory departments are prepared.

The office is staffed late into the night to answer any queries from clubs but generally they will conclude the deal club to club and then submit the paperwork.

2. What is FIFA's Transfer Matching System (TMS) 

When there is an international transfer, the buying and selling clubs have to register it on FIFA's Transfer Matching System (TMS) in order for international clearance to be generated.

The buying club have to upload all the information to the system and the foreign club have to match all the details.

Our FA will request clearance and, as long everything matches, the foreign association will issue clearance to the FA, who then informs the club and League.

The Premier League receives a copy because we need to ensure that players coming in have had their registration transferred to this country, or Wales in the case of Welsh clubs.

3. What's Transfer deadline Deal Sheet? 

Clubs sometimes conclude deals at the last minute and it is not always easy for them to get everything completed and sent over by the deadline.

The deal sheet allows a club to confirm that a deal has been reached in order to allow for additional time to submit the remaining documentation.

For a deadline of 17:00 BST, the deal sheet cannot be used before 15:00 and needs to arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes.

Once the sheet arrives, clubs have got until 19:00 in which to submit the full paperwork.

But if a club are looking to complete an international transfer, they still have to comply with the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) deadline of midnight.

4. How does the work-permit process work for transfers?

Where applicable, a club’s application to register a player has to be accompanied by evidence to allow the League to demonstrate that the player may take up employment in the UK.

The League will not confirm the player is eligible to play for the club applying to register him until it has received such evidence. (Rule U.13) 

Players with passports from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area need permission to work in the UK.

A club need to have applied for a permit prior to the window closing.

The UK Home Office has a points-based system based on which clubs must apply to The FA for a "Governing Body Endorsement" for such players. (See p551 of the Premier League Handbook 2018/19 (Download PDF, size: 8.39MB))

If the player does not automatically meet these criteria, the club can request an FA Exceptions Panel consider the player’s experience and value in order to determine whether a Governing Body Endorsement should nevertheless be granted.

5. Rules governing the third-party ownership of players

Premier League's stance on third-party ownership

The Premier League outlawed third-party ownership of players in 2007.

We need to be satisfied that any player joining a Premier League club has no third-party interests in his registration rights in order for him to be formally registered.

We believe that the practice threatens the integrity of competitions, reduces the flow of transfer income into the sport and has the potential to exert external influence on player transfer decisions.

A club need to own 100 per cent of a player's registration and so-called "economic rights" cannot be split out. 

6. Is a fax machine used for transfers? 

Clubs have a number of options in which to send documents through to the Premier League.

This is helpful to the clubs because they might be having difficulty in getting through with one of the methods.

The fax machine has been retired but clubs have the option of sending desktop faxes and scanned documents via e-mail.

If there is a problem and a club does not meet the deadline then the Premier League Board has the ability to either refuse the application or grant an application and, if thought necessary, impose conditions by which the club making the application and the player shall be bound.

7. How many loans are allowed for Premier League clubs?

Loans between Premier League clubs and other English counterparts are officially called temporary transfers.

Under the rules in the Premier League Handbook 2019/20 (Download PDF, size: 20.8MB), there are restrictions on how many players Premier League clubs can loan from other Premier League/English clubs.

They are:

- Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time.

- The maximum number of loans registrable in the same season is four, and, under no circumstances, shall more than one be from the same club at any one time.

- Premier League clubs cannot loan to another Premier League club a player they have acquired in the same transfer window.

- A Premier League club may loan not more than one of its goalkeepers to another Premier League club.

With the exception of Welsh clubs competing in the competitions listed under Rule V.6.2, loans from a club in membership of another National Association do not count towards the above quotas.

8. What is the Premier League's role in transfers?

Once the paperwork from a club for a transfer is received, it is checked against the Premier League and Football Association rules.

In some cases the transfer needs to comply with FIFA regulations, too.

If there are any issues the club are contacted for clarification or more information accordingly.

The Premier League will then advise the club if the player is registered or not and whether the signing is pending further to the receipt of additional documentation, for example, international clearance or an amendment.

This check is completed straightaway because clubs want to know as soon as possible whether or not all the necessary paperwork is in order.

It does get busy during the transfer window.

In one window recently, approximately 30 transfers came through in the space of an hour.

Premier League staff will not go home until everything is checked.

This post first appeared on Premier League. Com