Derby County can confirm that the club’s transfer of Maikel Kieftenbeld has not received ratification from the EFL and therefore the player has returned to Birmingham City.







The club received a request from the EFL for clarification of the documentation regarding the transfer earlier this week. Following discussions between Derby and the EFL, the league on Tuesday refused to authorise the permanent registration of the player.

Derby County then appealed the decision and the EFL have today reported back that their Board have upheld the ruling - therefore the player has returned to the West Midlands.

We believe sufficient transfer documentation was completed before the 11pm deadline last Thursday and appropriate supplemental forms followed a short while later, due to the player and agent being in different locations. However following clarification from the EFL, their view is that the full criteria was not met for the transfer to be accepted. Given the circumstances, we reluctantly accept the EFL’s adjudication.

A Derby County spokesman said: “This scenario highlights the challenges of the transfer window. All clubs would prefer to complete dealings earlier, but as clubs try to fine tune their squads this inevitably creates last-minute scenarios. We would like to place on record our thanks for the help and assistance of Birmingham City Football Club throughout this process.”