Sheffield United have become the first English side to sign a player as a result of his contract with a Russian club being temporarily suspended.
The Championship side have announced the signing of Filip Uremovic. The defender, who has won six senior caps for Croatia, joins the Blades on a deal until the end of the current season. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is entering its second month, has impacted Russia-based players and that has allowed United to sign Uremovic without paying a fee, and therefore outside the conventional transfer windows.
FIFPro, the world players union, pushed for FIFA to make sure Russian clubs would allow the release of non-Russian players and it is thought they are lobbying FIFA officials in Zurich to allow overseas players registered with Russian teams to effectively declare themselves as free agents.
