Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba wants a loan move away from Shanghai Shenhua, despite being outside the official transfer window.
The 34-year-old is believed to be keen to play for a new team to prepare for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as the Chinese season has finished.
He has asked Fifa for special permission to leave.
“The Fifa administration services are looking into it,” Fifa said in a statement.
It is not known whether Drogba has a club lined up to move to, but the Ivory Coast international has been linked with a move back to Marseille, the club he left for Chelsea in 2004, as well as Liverpool.
He teamed up with former Chelsea colleague Nicolas Anelka in China in June after agreeing a two-and-a-half-year contract with Shenhua.
Drogba’s last act in a Chelsea shirt was scoring the winning penalty in the Champions League final defeat of Bayern Munich in May.
He has scored eight goals in 11 games for the Chinese side.
Existing rules prevent Drogba from representing another club until 1 January.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations takes place in South Africa between 19 January and 10 February.