As the Dutch summer window was closing on Monday night, Southampton and Ajax were uploading the paperwork required for a Kamaldeen Sulemana loan move to the Amsterdam club.
The 22-year-old, who has a contract with Southampton until 2027, was set to join Ajax on loan until the end of the current window. The Eredivisie side would then have had an option to turn the move into a permanent one.
Ajax went public on Tuesday evening to say they’re still waiting for FIFA to give them the green light. The assumption is that the transfer didn’t go through on time and the Dutch side provided proof otherwise or reasons why.
Dutch website SoccerNews have quotes from sports lawyers Michiel van Dijk and Frans de Weger, and neither of the pair expect the transfer from Southampton to be approved by FIFA.
De Weger is quoted as saying: “I think it’s going to be a very difficult story. In TMS (Transfer Matching System) there is a deadline clock at the top right. It runs until 00.00.00. Until then, clubs have time to upload all the paperwork. Think of the transfer contract, the player contract; the financial details.
Van Dijk added: “The responsibility really lies with the purchasing party. In that respect, it is very black and white. There is no grey area. That is deliberately not there, really to prevent you from haggling. If you do not strictly adhere to that deadline, then all hell breaks loose.”
De Weger explained that whilst there’s some flexibility possible if there’s been a technical failure, the possibility of FIFA allowing that is very low indeed: “A technical defect, yes, that could be possible. But that has never happened before. And something like a bad WiFi connection or power failure will not stand. As a club, you are responsible for ensuring that the internet simply works.”
Should it go the way the lawyers think, it’s unclear what will happen with Sulemana for the current season.
