SPFL club hit with Fifa transfer embargo as reason for shock signing ban revealed
MORTON have been hit with a ban on registering new players.
The Scottish Championship club's name appears on the Fifa Registration Ban List.
The development will be a concern to Ton fans and manager Dougie Imrie with the summer transfer window just weeks away from opening.
As it stands, the club won't be allowed to sign ANY new players.
Morton appear on the Registration Bans list that's available to view on Fifa's website.
It shows that the Championship outfit have been under the registration ban since the middle of March, the 17th of the month to be specific.
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While the list confirms Morton are indeed banned from registering new players, it does NOT given a reason for it.
The club, however, have released a statement on the situation and insist it will NOT impact their summer transfer plans - and hope it'll all be resolved this month.
They have confirmed a "temporary registration ban" has been placed on them - and they've put it down to an "administration error" which saw documentation ultimately not submitted on time.
The Morton statement read: "The club can confirm we are currently working with football’s governing body, Fifa, to resolve an administration error leading to a temporary registration ban placed on the club.
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"Following the club’s requests earlier in the year to obtain the access required from Fifa to submit information as part of our compliance, the club did not receive the access required to complete the relevant process and subsequently have been issued with the ban as the documentation was then not submitted on time.
"Over the last number of weeks, the club has been in close dialogue with Fifa counterparts and have been given clarity that the issue is to be resolved by mid-May after giving us access to submit the required documentation and a clear timescale of the time required to approve the documents.
"This does not impinge on plans for the summer transfer window as new players cannot be registered until June, when the next transfer window opens.
"This also does not impinge on our ability to renew contracts of players already at the club, whose contracts expire this summer."
The Championship season finishes tomorrow night with Morton sitting sixth and unable to reach the play-offs.
So boss Imrie might have already been planning for the summer ahead.
Morton have just EIGHT first team players under contract for next season as it stands.
With the ban currently in place, the club won't be able to add any new faces as it currently stands.
The likes of Jack Baird, Ryan Mullen and Iain Wilson are all out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
Fifa describe their list as: "The Fifa Registration Ban List is a vital resource for the football community, detailing clubs worldwide that currently face registration bans imposed by Fifa.
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"This list includes clubs that are temporarily prohibited from registering new players due to various infractions, such as financial disputes or regulatory breaches.
"The Fifa Registration Ban List helps ensure transparency and compliance within the sport, allowing stakeholders to stay informed about which clubs are ineligible to sign new players during the ban period."
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page