Portsmouth, Oxford, Wycombe and Fleetwood given green light to proceed with transfers after FIFA relax rules

Football’s governing body FIFA have announced new regulations that allow all leagues to open their transfer windows before the current campaign has ended.

Third-tier clubs this week voted to bring their 2019-20 season to a premature end.

But with the final promotion place still to be decided, after Coventry and Rotherham were confirmed as title-winners and runners-up under a pre-agreed unweighted points per game formula, the Blues, Oxford, Wycombe and Fleetwood will see their term’s extended as they take their place in the end-of-season play-offs.

No dates have been confirmed for these respective semi-final ties and the final, with Pompey due to meet Oxford over two legs.

Yet all clubs could look to delve into the transfer market at a time when such summer business is normally restricted to when leagues have been concluded.

The Championship season, which resumes on June 20, will end ‘on or around 30 July’ with the play-off final.

Meanwhile, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has already said England's top flight will not allow clubs to sign players before July 25, after the delayed campaign is brought to an end.

Most European leagues have similar plans in place, but FIFA's new regulations would allow for windows to open earlier, stating that ‘associations following a dual-year calendar are permitted to commence the “first registration period” for the 2020-21 season prior to the completion of the 2019-20 season, subject to conditions’.

FIFA also announced that players would be allowed to play for up to three clubs - rather than the usual two - during the same season.

Last week, Kenny Jackett told The News a transfer swap shop could come to the fore with EFL clubs staring into the financial abyss.

He also admitted his transfer plans had already been impacted on because of coronavirus.