However, we have not really seen this kind of frenzied activity with respect of Indian clubs so far. So, what is the effect of the transfer deadline day on the I-League and Indian Super League (ISL) clubs?
The first thing to realise here is that for Indian clubs to bring in foreign players contracted to another club, the transfer window in India should be open. It does not matter if the window is closed in the country of the club which is selling/loaning.
However, India’s transfer window also closes on August 31st, which means clubs cannot sign foreign players contracted to other clubs if the documentation process is not carried out by the end of Thursday.
The point to note here is that the foreign signings by Indian clubs are either loan deals or free agent signings. For example, Kerala Blasters’ marquee signing Dimitar Berbatov was a free agent before the Kochi-based side picked him up.
In case of loan deals, the deadline day is applicable and the clubs must complete the paperwork before the end of August 31st. This is because the clubs need the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) to complete the deal and it cannot be issued if the designated transfer window of the nation to which the buying club belongs is closed.
But the clubs are still free to recruit free agents though it is required the concerned player’s last contract must have ended on or before August 31st. Only in such case, would the free agent will have a valid ITC. So, if a player’s contract ends on September 5th, interested Indian club cannot sign him because he will not possess a valid ITC.
With most of the I-League and ISL clubs having announced a host of foreign signings, this effectively means that they can bring onboard only free agents after August 31st, ie, Thursday.
