‘The recent media storm concerning the collapse of Manchester United’s transfer deal for its goalkeeper David de Gea apparently as a result of a two minutes delay in submitting the requisite paperwork caused me reflect on the potential effects of missing deadlines in commercial contracts. Man U’s problem did not, of course, arise from any term in the transfer agreement itself, but rather from its failure to register the player into the new club through FIFA in accordance with the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which postulate a strictly prescribed “registration period” or transfer window in media parlance.’
No. 5 Chambers, 11th September 2015
Source: www.no5.com