OLDHAM Athletic have been placed under even tighter transfer restrictions following a breach of English Football League rules.

Latics were already operating under a transfer embargo after taking out a loan with the EFL to soften the financial blow of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a consequence, head coach Keith Curle was limited to shopping around for free agents during his summer re-building project.

But Latics are now unable to make any signings at all until the issue, relating to missed transfer or compensation payments, has been resolved.

Latics have been found to be in breach of Regulation 51.2.3, which is listed in the EFL’s embargo reporting service.

The regulation states “If a Club is in default of payments due to another Club (or club) under a transfer or compensation agreement the Club shall be subject to a registration embargo such that it shall not be permitted to register any player with that Club without the prior written consent of The League until such time as the agreement is honoured.”

The development comes as a huge disappointment to supporters, particularly those who are keen to see a change of regime, with ongoing calls for owner Abdallah Lemsagam to sell up.

In a statement fans’ group Push The Boundary said: “The recent charge that has appeared on the EFL website makes a mockery of the recent statement from the club that indicates a move towards stability.

“Our squad is sub standard and our league status is precarious, so to have our ability to act in the transfer market impeded even further as a result of mismanagement only strengthens the argument that it is time for him to seek immediate alternatives to take the club off his hands and to give fans the stability that they have craved for years.”

Latics have been asked by The Oldham Times for a comment.

Latics’ plight was featured on BBC’s Football Focus programme, ahead of the Stevenage game, for which the club supplied the following statement: “Mr Lemsagam has invested over five million pounds in the club. He has not taken money or assets from the club but has instead invested a significant proportion of his personal wealth. He has taken every action possible to ensure the club remains in a financially healthy and solvent position.

“Although the start to the season has not been as successful as hoped, the season is at an early stage and with three clean sheets in four games the team is improving under Keith’s leadership.

“This season has seen us increase commercial revenues considerably and develop the club’s community engagement.

“We acknowledge the deep divide between the club and the fan groups and how disappointed they are.

“We have held meetings between the leadership of the club and those fan groups.

“We want to work with those groups and collaborate in the best way we can to utilise the club’s greatest asset, it’s fanbase.”