EFL confirm transfer dates for West Brom and Walsall signings - with new window and deadline time added

The Championship, League One and League Two will follow the lead of Premier League registration window plans and have one extra period to sign and sell players this summer.

That will begin on June 1 and last for just 10 days - before a short break leading into the regular summer transfer window.

There will be a 7pm deadline on June 10 until the window re-opens on Monday, June 16 right through to September 1. The latter also has a 7pm deadline, forward from the usual 11pm in a bid to help clubs finalise late business.

The extra 10-day signing slot is due to the new FIFA Club World Cup, launching this summer, where 32 clubs from across the globe compete in a new format in the United States in a tournament between June 14 and July 13 this year. Manchester City and Chelsea are the English representatives.

The extra registration period was introduced to aid top flight clubs, and other leading clubs worldwide who are competing, to sign and register players in to feature in the newly-designed lucrative FIFA competition.

And it has had a knock-on effect lower down the levels and the English Football League has introduced the same new window.

In a statement, the EFL says it "believes that its clubs should also have the opportunity to be active in the market at this time."

They added to expect "considerable transfer activity" between clubs in the world's major leagues prior to the Club World Cup. There is a potential, though, business could trickle down the levels as all clubs look to gain an advantage and steal a march.

The 10-day slot and subsequent six day break between both windows is due to laws that the transfer window registration period cannot exceed 89 days.

The Baggies are expected to have a busy summer on the transfer front as they look to improve on the recently-ended Championship campaign's disappointing climax.

Director of football operations Ian Pearce, working under sporting director Andrew Nestor, will lead the player recruitment as the club's owners Bilkul look to continue the regeneration of the squad. A new head coach appointment remains the owners' priority at this period, however.

League Two promotion-hopefuls Walsall have Wembley and promotion to the third tier on their mind, with one foot in the play-off final ahead of Friday's semi-final second leg at home to Chesterfield, which they head into with a 2-0 advantage from last Sunday's first tie.