League wins battle over transfer windows

The Football League has won a major victory over Fifa that will keep the transfer market open for two years on a trial basis. In a triumph of common sense, Nationwide League clubs will be allowed to sign up to 10 players a season – from wherever they want.

Fifa's new transfer windows will still close on Premiership clubs from 31 August, but the game's world governing body has abandoned a plan to enforce the ruling across the lower divisions after appeals from the League and the Football Association made it aware of the difficulties this would cause.

Football League officials were planning to defy Fifa anyway, but they have avoided a possible confrontation by agreeing a plan in principle. Now there will be movement in to and out of clubs, leaving them able to solve any injury crisis by buying or borrowing players, or to ease financial difficulties by selling them.

Fifa and Uefa, the game's European ruling body, were also warned of the possibility of legal challenges by out-of-work footballers, who would have been prevented from changing clubs if the windows ruling was fully in place.

The Real Madrid defender Ivan Campo will sign for Bolton Wanderers today. The 28-year-old Spaniard has agreed to join the Premiership side on a three-year contract after haggling for days since Real accepted a £1m fee for him.

Campo had held out for other offers, but the persistence of Wanderers' manager, Sam Allardyce, and the club's chairman, Phil Gartside – who met the player and his agents in Spain – is about to pay off.

Liverpool are bringing forward the arrival of Senegal's World Cup midfielder Salif Diao. The Anfield manager, Gérard Houllier, has spoken with Sedan, Diao's current club, and agreed that he will arrive on Merseyside in the next few days because of concerns over the fitness of Steven Gerrard and Dietmar Hamann.

The tough-tackling Diao will complete the £5m move in time for a possible debut against Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday week in Cardiff.