New post-Brexit transfer rules will come as a blow for Manchester United and other Premier League clubs who are set to be barred from signing overseas Under-18 players.
This news comes from the FA and it means all overseas recruits will require a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to move to England, and we can’t imagine the coaches at Carrington will be too happy about that if it scraps any of their immediate plans.
These changes are set to come into play during the upcoming January transfer window.
A statement from the FA read: “The FA, the Premier League and EFL have come together to agree a plan for entry requirements for overseas players post-Brexit.
“Football’s Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) proposal was submitted to the Government last month by the FA, as the governing body for football, and has now been approved by The Home Office.
The Premier League, FA and EFL have agreed their plan for entry requirements for foreign players post-Brexit for when the UK leaves the European Union after December 31.
Post Brexit, clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the EU. (Thread ahead)— Alasdair Gold (@AlasdairGold) December 1, 2020
“The criteria will provide the framework for Premier League and EFL clubs to sign overseas players when the UK leaves the European Union (EU) after 31 December 2020.
“Post-Brexit, clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the EU. Players from EU countries who want to play in the Premier League or EFL will be required to gain a GBE, like all other overseas players without the right to work in the UK.”
Youngsters such as Marc Jurado and Alvaro Fernandez Carreras joined the club’s Academy from Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively last summer, but the new rules will make deals like these impossible.
Jurado and Fernandez turned down deals at their previous clubs to join the Reds’ academy. They see how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer puts faith in young players and will keep a path open from the youth setup to first team.
The GBE is going to operate as a points-based system that will factor things such as the number of international appearances a player has made as well as the selling club’s stature.
The statement continues: “In the Premier League, the number of overseas Under-21 players a club can sign will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season moving forwards.
“This enables the recruitment of the best players from around the world to train and play together with homegrown talent. Under FIFA’s rules, the UK’s exit from the EU will also mean that clubs will not be able to sign players from overseas until they are 18.”
Who thought Brexit was a good idea?
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