FA CHIEFS have confirmed a rule change that is set to save Premier League clubs a fortune in the transfer market.
Until this summer, incoming players had to meet certain criteria in order to obtain a work permit.
GettyAndrey Santos was signed by Chelsea in January but could not be registered[/caption]
Factors considered included international caps, which league they were signing from, and how much they had played.
Points were awarded for various factors, with players requiring 15 to be able to be registered to play.
These rules always applied to players outside of Europe, while EU players were also subjected to them post-Brexit.
In a landmark move for the English game, the Home Office have now approved a rule change that enables clubs to sign up to four players that do not meet the criteria.
This will allow teams to recruit young talent from abroad before they fully establish themselves, saving themselves money on transfer fees in the process.
The rule change came into effect on June 14, the day the summer transfer window opened.
Chelsea’s young Brazilian Andrey Santos is an example of a player that previously could not be registered due to not meeting the criteria.
The 19-year-old signed for £18million from Vasco da Gama in January, but had to be immediately loaned out.
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Santos would now be eligible to be registered as one of Chelsea’s four spots.
Championship clubs will also be able to add four players that do not meet the old criteria.
While those in Leagues One and Two will be able to register two apiece.
Upon confirmation of the changes, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “As English football’s governing body, we oversee the whole football ecosystem, and we wanted to create a new model which would meet the different objectives of our football stakeholders.
“We worked closely with the clubs and the leagues, and have designed a progressive solution which will give clubs additional access to international talent and incentivise playing opportunities for English talent.”
Legal expert Emma Brooksbank from law firm Freeths, who helped broker the new framework, believes the benefits for English football will be wide-ranging.
“It means that clubs can now recruit young talent from smaller leagues around the world that would not previously have been eligible to play in England.”
“Signing players at a younger age could actually mean lower transfer fees and thus more money to invest in the development of homegrown players as well as wider investment into local communities.”