At midnight this Saturday the twenty Premier League clubs will no longer be able to bring in any new faces until the mid-season transfer window opens on the 1st January.

Before this season, clubs were permitted to sign new players throughout the season until their respective league's registration deadlines in March kicked in, but now Article 5 of the FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players' states that players may only be registered during two periods, or windows, in a year.

"As from midnight on the 31st August we can accept no more registrations for players at Premier League clubs and International clearances will also stop, until the window re-opens in January," explained the FA's Registrations Manager John Young.

"The window will then close again on 31st January and clubs will be then restricted from signing new players until the end of their playing season."

"However, FIFA has indicated that they may give special dispensation in exceptional circumstances,"

To assist the clubs in their last minute endeavours, this Saturday will be a normal working day for the FA's Registrations department at Soho Square, allowing any last contracts or International Clearances to be confirmed.

John added: "There is a couple of international clearance we are expecting and before we can register the players new contracts. But there will be two of us in the office tomorrow so we'll hopefully get them before we close and confirm that the players can play.

As TheFA.com revealed yesterday, The Football Association and the Football League are working together to reach a compromise with FIFA over the application of the transfer windows outside of The FA Premier League, and until world football's governing body reaches a decision player transfers and registrations will continue in the Football League and below, including transfers from Premier League clubs. However with International Clearances ceasing during the window's closure no new players can join English clubs from abroad at ANY level.

'Transfer Windows' for season 2002/2003

  • Close season window ends midnight 31st August 02
  • Mid-season window opens 12.01am 1st January 03 and closes midnight 31st January 03
  • Close season window opens at the end of a clubs playing season.

To read the full FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players, click here

Or to see how they are applied, click here for the Regulations governing the Application of the Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players