Teams in Major League Soccer haven't been resting on their laurels since the close of the 2018 Primary Transfer Window in May, but get ready for more activity ahead and plenty of MLS player debuts with the official opening of the Secondary Transfer Window on Tuesday.
Per FIFA regulations, MLS teams are able to request International Transfer Certificates (ITC) from players' former clubs to complete signings, loans and transfer deals. While deals can otherwise be completed outside the transfer windows, receipt of a player's ITC is required in order to add players to official rosters and for those players to be eligible to play in competitive matches.
The opening of the transfer window also means that the trade window within MLS for players will once again open. In accordance with the transfer window, the trade window for players is open until August 8. Trades for non-player assets, including international roster slots, allocation money, allocation order slots and MLS SuperDraft picks, can take place outside the transfer window periods.
Clubs may also transfer or loan their players to non-MLS clubs at any time, subject to the transfer window of the recipient club's national federation and subject to the consent of the player.
The 2018 Secondary Transfer Window will run in MLS between July 10 and August 8.
