Signing a youth player...have to wait a year and a half??

Forgive me if I've missed something but are there any rules on signing youth players before their contract runs out? I just found a great young prospect playing in the second division in Croatia and made a deal for £24k to sign him up. I had visions of him stunning the Slovenian youth leagues, then taking me to Slovenian league glory and finally selling him on for a huge profit. I'm Koper.

I approached his team with an enquiry and they told me what they wanted. They accepted my matched bid and the lad accepted the offer and waited for a contract proposal. When I made my offer I could only give him a youth contract and I assumed he would slot in as I envisioned.

A few days later I got a message to say the lad had accepted my contract offer and would sign for me...on January 1st 2011.

January 1st 2011!?! The date is now July 4th 2009. I have to wait a year and a half to see him play. They could crock him by then.

It's not even like I have to wait for his contract to run out. That ends 6 months after he joins me. It's not even his 18th birthday. That is just over a month prior to his move date.

The only thing that has kept me from going insane is that if I had signed him I'd have had to pay upwards of £350k in compensation. This way I pay nothing.

So what rule have I missed? I'm sure it's simple.

It's not even his 18th birthday. That is just over a month prior to his move date.

Looks like you're getting him in the first transfer window after his 18th. Which would suggest that players in his league can't go abroad until they're 18, and only in a transfer window.

Looks like you're getting him in the first transfer window after his 18th. Which would suggest that players in his league can't go abroad until they're 18, and only in a transfer window.

Thanks Cavenagh.

I just made a bid for the same team's youth keeper (who has the potential to be as good as my current keeper) and read the transfer screen in detail this time. It says quite clearly what the rule is; Croatian players are not allowed to move abroad before the age of 18'.

So, yes, next window.

Oh well, I'll just have to change my dream a bit and leave out the 'taking the Slovenian youth leagues by storm' part. He'll be a nice replacement for my keeper in a year and a half.