Fifa’s solution, however, appears sensible, in that player contracts will be tied to the season we are currently in, and will only expire at the end of the campaign.
So, for example, if the season continues into August, Maluleka would remain with Chiefs until it is completed, and only then move to Sundowns.
“In case of overlapping seasons and/or registration periods, and unless all parties agree otherwise, priority be given to the former club to complete their season with their original squad, in order to safeguard the integrity of a domestic league championship,” said a document circulating at Fifa and seen by Reuters.
Although Fifa have not officially come out and said this is the case, it is expected they will do so in the coming weeks once they have ironed out all the legalities.
There may be some unintended consequences for clubs though, those that were seeking to cut their wage bill by offloading players could find they are forced to pay them for some months after the scheduled expiry of their contracts.