Fulham placed under transfer embargo

Fulham have been placed under a transfer embargo by the Football League.

The sanction has been imposed after the club breached Financial Fair Play rules by recording an annual loss greater than the £6m allowed by the League.

The embargo has been imposed until the end of the season, so will be in place during the January transfer window.

A Fulham statement read: “The embargo arises as the club made an adjusted loss greater than the £6m limit allowed by the Football League in the year following relegation.

“The Football League has since recognised this limit is low, especially for clubs recently relegated with Premier League overheads in place, and the limit has now increased to £13m per annum.

“Unfortunately Fulham’s embargo falls in the final year of the previous limit, but the club does not anticipate being in breach in future years.

“The action imposed by the League has been anticipated since the summer, which saw a sustained period of investment in the team with that understanding.

“The purchase of players such as Ross McCormack and Matt Smith (in summer 2014), to enable the club to compete effectively in the League, were the result of that investment.

“The period of embargo will be imposed during January 2016 and the club will be able to fully trade again in the summer 2016 transfer window.”

The statement added: “It will still be possible for the club to trade within the set FFP limits, and therefore the potential of recruiting players is still something that the club will look to do, if the right players are available.”

Fulham, relegated from the top flight in 2014, are currently 18th in the Championship table and are still seeking a replacement for Kit Symons, who was sacked as manager in November. Stuart Gray was recently placed in interim charge.