Brexit and Premier League: FA to recommend 13 non-homegrown player quota even with Brexit delay or collapse

The Football Association are set to recommend a Premier League quota of 13 non-homegrown players even if Brexit is delayed by a second referendum or collapses altogether.

Current regulations stipulate sides can having 17 non-European Union players in their 25-man squads but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have asked the FA, Premier League and the EFL to create a joint-proposal for how the game will operate if the United Kingdom leaves the EU as planned next year.

FA chairman Martin Glenn outlined the organisation’s position at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting last Thursday, stating his belief it will ensure the League maintains its pre-eminence in world football but also boost the number of opportunities for English players.

That position has been met with initial resistance by the Premier League, who argue it could dilute the competition’s overall quality and restrict the ability of the top sides to sign the world’s best overseas talent.

Talks are ongoing and it is as yet unclear whether the three governing bodies will come to an agreement or argue their individual cases to DCMS, who will then decide in the best interests of the game as a whole.

In the event of a No-deal Brexit, immigration laws for non-EU players would revert back to Governing Body Endorsement terms, which would mean the FA together with the Home Office will determine each player’s eligibility, making it significantly tougher for Premier League clubs to sign overseas talent from outside Europe.

The FA’s figures suggest the impact of their 13-man cap on Premier League clubs will be minimal, especially as they are also willing to create a fully open market so teams could access South American, African and Asian talent in the same manner European players are presently available.

Of the 10,469 appearances made in the top flight last season, only 42 would have been lost had the Premier League operated with 13 non-EU players instead of the current 17. Tottenham are one club to currently comprise the maximum quota but four of those players – Michel Vorm, Paulo Gazzaniga, Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou – featured just once.

Although the number of foreign players is on the rise in contrast to the decline in playing time for homegrown talent, the FA claim there would be no impact on the net number of imported players if the new restrictions were put in place.

A total of 262 foreign players featured in the Premier league last season – an average of 13 per team.

There are further discussions planned over a reform to the loan system while the prospect of stricter immigration rules could have an impact on the January transfer window as players already in the UK prior to Brexit taking place at the end of March will be able to remain regardless of whether they transfer to another club. Any changes would be subject to a transition period in keeping with the wider Brexit terms.