Kieran Maguire

Fri 7 October 2022 17:42, UK

The likes of Liverpool stand to benefit if the FA relaxes its governing body endorsement (GBE) points system.

That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about a potential re-think of the current rules on foreign signings.

Britain’s exit from the European Union means UK teams are no longer free to poach under-18 players from European clubs, with rising stars instead required to meet a 15-point GBE threshold.

But The Athletic reported on Monday (3 October) that the FA, who have historically wanted UK teams to shop domestically in the interests of the England national team, have softened their stance on the GBE points system.

It is claimed that there was also unanimous support for a relaxation of the rules at a recent Premier League meeting.

Top-flight clubs spent a record £1.9billion this summer, while almost every other market continued to experience a post-pandemic malaise.

Liverpool were one of several teams to smash their club record, signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica for £85million.

Maguire explains how a softening of the rules may mean the Merseysiders and their Premier League peers would be less likely to be held to ransom in the transfer market.

“Any restriction on labour drives up the price of labour,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.

“That is reflected in two forms. First of all, wages. Secondly, compensation fees or, as more commonly call them, transfer fees.

“Because a club is not able to bring a player to the UK purely on merit, the player has to satisfy a points-based system, this restricts the number of players who can come to the UK.

“From economics 101, if you do anything to restrict supply, that drives up the price.

“And that is what we have seen as far as the amount being spent by Premier League clubs over the course of the most recent transfer window.”

In other news, pundit tells Liverpool to launch “big-money” Bundesliga raid after Sky’s Jamal Musiala reveal.