The East Bengal-Shree Cement deadlock was resolved on Wednesday after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mediated by inviting both parties to the West Bengal secretariat meeting.
At the meeting, both Shree Cement and East Bengal officials confirmed and announced that the differences relating to the final agreement of their joint venture have been resolved and the club will now take part in the eighth season of the Indian Super League (ISL).
So now that the issue has been solved, the management will now look to build a competitive team as soon as possible in order to take part in the ISL.
When did the summer transfer window open and when does it close and how does it work?
During the transfer window, clubs can engage in transfer activities among each other for permanent and loan deals. Transfers of both contracted players as well as free agents can be done during the window. The FIFA transfer window in India opened on June 9 and will close on August 31.
But once the deadline day is over, a club cannot buy or sell or loan contracted players. Only players who are free agents can be signed once the transfer window closes.
ISL
Can East Bengal sign quality foreigners after the transfer window close?
The East Bengal team management has very little time to build their team with contracted players as the deadline day is fast approaching and the window closes in another six days. If the club wants to sign contracted Indian or foreign players they have to do it in the next six days. Beyond the deadline day, the club can still sign players but they will only be able to sign free agents - both Indians and foreigners.
The thing the fans are most anxious about is whether the club will be able to sign quality foreigners before the transfer window closes.
It has to be noted that hardly any ISL club signs contracted foreign players from other leagues. Most of the foreigners who ply their trade in India are free agents despite being signed during the transfer window. In the ongoing transfer window, ATK Mohun Bagan are the only club that has paid a transfer fee to sign a foreigner - French midfielder Hugo Boumous from Mumbai City.
So the notion that the Red and Golds cannot sign quality players outside the window is not true. In fact, last season, when East Bengal made a late entry into the ISL, they recruited all their foreigners on free transfers which included German midfielder Matti Steinmann who proved to be a really good recruit for the club.