With
Britain leaving the European Union, there are new laws as of January 1 - and
that means new regulations in next month's transfer window, which could have
previously restricted the signings of Paul Pogba, Cesc Fabregas and Hector
Bellerin among others.
Premier League clubs are to be limited to three U21 signings each transfer
window with all foreign players subjected to a point-based threshold to be
eligible to play in the UK.
Players from European Union countries will not be allowed to be signed
without a work permit while foreign players under the age of 18 cannot be
bought at all as part of post-Brexit regulations, meaning Premier League
clubs will have to wait to secure the services of top young talent from
abroad.
Why are the rules being introduced?
The UK is set to leave the EU on December 31 following a 11-month transition
period1:18
When the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, Premier League clubs will
be unable to sign players freely from the EU as the UK will no longer have
access to the Union's single market of free movement of labour.
What is a Governing Body Endorsement?
Football authorities have agreed a plan of entry requirements for overseas
players with the Government. The Football Association, the Premier League
and the English Football League submitted a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE)
proposal last month, which has now been approved by the Home Office.
The criteria will provide the framework for clubs to sign overseas players
when the UK leaves the European Union after December 31.
How have they come about?
The regulations outlined by the Premier League, FA and EFL are designed to
safeguard the future of the England national football team, while also
allowing domestic clubs to remain competitive and have the ability to sign
players of high quality.
The authorities have been in dialogue for some months over the exact entry
requirements for transfers from overseas.
What are the entry requirements?
The criteria were based on the player's appearances in international matches
and their country's FIFA rankings. The higher number of appearances and the
higher the nation's ranking, the more points the player in question will
have.
A player from a top-10 FIFA-ranked country who has featured in over 50 per
cent of that nation's matches in the last two years would enable a player to
sign for a Premier League club with a GBE. But for those players
representing lower-ranked countries, they will have had to have played
almost all matches in order to score enough points.
Furthermore, how a club performs in a competition is weighted in earning
points. If a player gets 15 points, they will earn a GBE.
Can exceptions be made?
Yes, a player may obtain a GBE through subjective criteria if they are
unable to tally enough points. An Exceptions Panel, made up of people from
different stakeholders in the game, will in these cases assess the
application. The player must be classed as of "the highest quality" to be
permitted a GBE.
In addition, if a player earns between 10-14 points, his case will
automatically be sent to the Exceptions Panel.
What are the key rules?
Clubs will be restricted to just three overseas signings under the age of 21
from January onwards, and only six foreign players per campaign moving
forward.
Post-Brexit, players from EU countries will be required to gain a GBE, like
the work-permit system for other overseas players.
The GBE will operate a points system based on senior and youth international
appearances, club appearances and the quality of the selling club and its
league.
Players accumulating the requisite amount of points will earn a GBE
automatically, while players just below the threshold may be considered for
a GBE by the Exceptions Panel.
Will this lead to more homegrown players?
The FA has also proposed to use Brexit to amend the "homegrown" rule and cut
the number of foreign players allowed in Premier League squads post-Brexit.
The FA is eager to reduce the number of non-homegrown players allowed in a
squad from 17 to 13 but the Premier League will fight to maintain its
standards on quality.
Post-Brexit immigration will undoubtedly impact football transfers involving
the Premier League, and it remains to be seen just how the various
challenges posed will shape the transfer strategies of clubs heading into
2021.
Who are Europe's wonderkids?
Premier League clubs will be unable to buy foreign players under the age of
18 from January, due to post-Brexit regulations. That means some of these
rising stars will be out of reach to Premier League sides until they are
18...
Alejandro Iturbe - Atletico Madrid, 17
Iturbe is considered by many at Atletico to be the heir to Jan Oblak's
throne as first-choice goalkeeper in the future. The youngster was called up
by Diego Simeone to train with the senior squad during pre-season and is
currently playing for the Juvenil A team - Atletico's U19s. Iturbe doesn't
turn 18 until next September.
Ilaix Moriba - Barcelona, 17
The central midfielder currently plays for Barcelona B and doesn't turn 18
until January 19. Moriba is regarded as the best player at La Masia and has
been likened to Paul Pogba in sections of the Spanish media. Born in Guinea,
Moriba represents Spain internationally, having recently played for their
U18s.
Naci Unuvar - Ajax, 17
Unuvar has already played and scored for the Ajax first team on his debut
and is the latest talent to emerge from the club's famed youth system.
Teenagers Ryan Gravenberch and Lassina Traore having already made their mark
on the first team, and with Unuvar not turning 18 until June, Premier League
club won't be allowed to prise him away from Amsterdam.
Which players would not have been signed?
Some Premier League star names joined their clubs when they were under 18 in
the past. Here are a few of the deals which wouldn't have been possible
under the new regulations...
Hector Bellerin - Barcelona to Arsenal
The Premier League's top academies are preparing for life after Brexit - and
one club who have benefited from the European Union's exception to a FIFA
rule are Arsenal. English clubs will only be able to sign foreign talent
when they have turned 18.
Bellerin, now in his seventh season as first-choice, joined along with
Barcelona team-mate Jon Toral at 16 in 2011.
Paul Pogba - Le Havre to Man Utd
Manchester United signed Paul Pogba at 16 from Le Havre, although he left
three years later for Juventus. United had been cleared to sign the
then-teenager after FIFA rejected claims by the French club that the player
had been illegally induced to move to Old Trafford.
Eric Garcia - Barcelona to Man City
Manchester City will have to take a different approach on sustainability
while using their academy when new Brexit rules are imposed. The club have
made a healthy profit on signing players from the continent before they
turned 18, helping their overall transfer strategy.
Having turned down a new contract, Garcia could leave for a reduced fee in
January, joining the likes of Brahim Diaz (£15m), Pablo Maffeo (£8.8m), Rony
Lopes (£9m) and Jason Denayer (£9m) in being sold having arrived before
their 18th birthday - something which would not be allowed under the new
rules.
Sepp van den Berg - PEC Zwolle to Liverpool
Liverpool agreed a deal with Dutch Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle to sign
defender Sepp van den Berg when he was a 17-year-old back in June 2019.
Van den Berg was a Netherlands U19 international when made 15 appearances
for Zwolle during the 2018/19 season - and the centre-back made four
appearances under Jurgen Klopp last term across the League Cup and FA Cup.
Mikki Van Sas - Utrecht to Man City
Manchester City signed the highly-rated teenage goalkeeper Mikki van Sas
from Utrecht to join their academy ranks last summer. The 16-year-old was
linked with a move to Ajax but opted to move to the Etihad.
Jayden Braaf - PSV to Man City
Braaf signed for Man City on his 16th birthday in the summer of 2018 as a
first-year scholar, joining from PSV Eindhoven having also spent time at
Ajax's academy.
City fought off stiff competition from the likes of Manchester United,
Chelsea and Bayern Munich for the signature of the young Dutch forward - but
he would not be able to join the club's Elite Development Squad under the
new regulations.
Federico Macheda - Lazio to Man Utd
Macheda shot to fame when he scored the winning goal for Manchester United
against Aston Villa on his Premier League debut in April 2009. At the start
of the 2007/08 season, he left Lazio as a 16-year-old to head to Old
Trafford, leaving the Serie A club angry at seeing their star prospect
snatched from their youth academy.
United were able to pull off the transfer as a result of regulations in
Italy that prevented clubs from tying a player under the age of 18 to a
contract - but the new post-Brexit rules would mean United needing to wait
until a player's 18th birthday in order to make such a transfer.
Nicolas Anelka - PSG to Arsenal
Nicolas Anelka is the only player in Premier League history to score more
than 20 goals with four different clubs (Arsenal, Bolton, Chelsea,
Manchester City). But the Frenchman may not have made it to English shores
were the new rules in place back in 1997 when he signed from Paris
Saint-Germain at just 17 years old. Anelka won the PFA Young Player of the
Year Award during the 1998/99 season before joining Real Madrid for £22.3m.
Cesc Fabregas - Barcelona to Arsenal
Fabregas reached 25 Premier League assists at a younger age than any other
player, at just 20 years and 134 days.
But the Spaniard would not have arrived in the Premier League when he did as
a 16-year-old under the new transfer rules. He went on to play over 300
games for the club before being sold back to Barcelona for £30m in 2011.
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