The European summer transfer window has mostly come to a close, but the timeline is still buzzing with transfer activity and speculation.
Reports from Fabrizio Romano indicate that Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad is keen on securing the services of free agent Sergio Ramos. Their offer includes a two-year contract with a break clause, a provision that allows the contract to be terminated early. It’s reported that Ramos is seeking a three-year deal, even if a break clause is included.
Al Ittihad proposal to Sergio Ramos: two year deal with break clause included in the contract. 🟡⚫️🇪🇸 #AlIttihad
Saudi side waiting for final decision as Ramos has also been approached by Turkish clubs. pic.twitter.com/ZVcHvLD075
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 2, 2023
Ramos, who previously earned approximately $11 million annually at PSG, is likely to expect a similar figure from Al-Ittihad. The urgency behind Al-Ittihad’s pursuit of Ramos stems from their failure to secure Luiz Felipe from Real Betis.
This summer, Al-Ittihad has already made waves by signing several other prominent players from top European clubs, including Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Fabinho, and Jota. Sergio Ramos has also received interest from Turkish clubs Besiktas and Galatasaray. Both have proposed two-year contracts with annual salaries ranging from $6.5 to $8.6 million.
The 37-year-old defender last featured for PSG and played his farewell match in June. However, he has been without a club since his contract with the Ligue 1 champions expired at the start of July. Ramos initially joined PSG from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and made 58 appearances for the Ligue 1 club.
When is the deadline day for the transfer windows in Saudi Arabia and Turkey?
In European soccer, summer transfer windows begin as early as July and usually conclude on September 1. This deadline sometimes extends into September to accommodate potential midweek matches in leagues like the Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1.
However, the situation differs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. FIFA has listed September 20 as the transfer deadline day for Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, the league’s official website indicates that teams actually have until September 7 to secure new player signings.
They simply don’t make defenders like Sergio Ramos anymore pic.twitter.com/LeDy1JP0Ca
— Rk (@RkFutbol) August 31, 2023
Meanwhile, over in Turkey, the deadline for player registrations is set for September 8. Turkish clubs eagerly await Ramos’ response to their offer. They have given Ramos a deadline of September 4 to confirm the offer to register him on time.
When it comes to free agents, clubs across all leagues can still sign them after the deadline, provided these players are not officially affiliated with any club by September 1. However, their registration can only occur when the transfer window reopens.
There are exceptions to this rule in some leagues, such as the Premier League, which has an emergency loan rule. This rule allows clubs to sign a goalkeeper on a loan deal outside the window if all the goalkeepers in their first-team squad are unavailable due to injury or suspension.
It’s important to note that Ramos, being a center-back, does not fall under the purview of this emergency loan rule. According to the rules and regulations, Ramos has the first week of September to finalize his move to any club.
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