Premier League clubs non-home grown quota to be reduced to 13
Premier League clubs could be forced to lose four of their non-home grown players as the FA look to change the rules in a post Brexit world.
Currently clubs in the top tier of English football must have at least eight home grown players in their 25 man squad, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they must be English.
Brexit could mean a change of rules to work permits and the FA will use potentially scrapping the criteria needed for one as a way to negotiate clubs needing 12 homegrown players in their squad, as per the Daily Mail.
The current restrictions have already led to a premium on English players meaning that clubs are able to charge more for home grown players.
Reducing the number of non-home grown players would increase the premium and the rush to sign the best English players, especially youngsters.
Nothing has yet to be agreed between the Premier League and the FA but the league want to make sure that signing players, now the country is outside the EU, is as simple as possible so they may agree to the FAs need to increase playing time for English players.
The Mail also report that Football League sides are worried that the rule changes could mean the big clubs coming for their academy players more often.
It will be much easier for the top clubs to sign academy players from outside the top flight and from those with lower ranked academies than competing with clubs of similar stature and with the need to pack squads with more home grown players it would be inevitable.
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There is a fear that new restrictions could lead to less of the world’s best players moving to England, with one source telling the Mail, “They have to be very careful they don’t just destroy what the Premier League is. Everybody wants to see homegrown players in the team but they also want to see the top players playing here.”
Any change from 17 to 13 players is likely to be done over a staggered amount of time to allow clubs to come to terms with the changes.