Sources: Man City could now cash in as Government investigation imminent
There is growing confidence behind the scenes that visa system reform will see the likes of Man City able to recruit the best young talent from abroad once again, sources have told Football Insider.
Post-Brexit rules require players signing for English clubs from overseas to attain 15 points to qualify automatically for a work permit, while players with 10 points or more are eligible to go before an appeals panel.
Points are issued according to criteria such as the number of international caps a player has amassed or the number of appearances they have made in elite domestic or continental competitions.
This, coupled with the fact that English clubs are no longer allowed to sign foreign under-18 players, has made it more difficult to sign inexperienced youngsters from abroad.
Premier League clubs have been lobbying the FA to soften their stance on the points-based system, which they have previously favoured because of its perceived benefits to the development of domestic talent.
The majority of the top flight believes that the points system has led to them being held to ransom in the international transfer market because of the inherent reduction in the size of the recruitment pool.
The government has now said it will review the visa system, which it hopes will allow English clubs to “attract the best global talent while maintaining strong support for young domestic players to develop from the grassroots level.”
A source familiar with the intersection of UK immigration law and football has told Football Insider that Premier League clubs are optimistic that the rules will be sufficiently relaxed after the review.
Man City have been one of the biggest recruiters of rising stars from overseas in recent years, a characteristic which, in tandem with their multi-club network, has been central to their player trading model.
While City will be pleased to hear about the possible relaxation of the FA’s points system, there are also concerns about how Fifa’s new loan rules could affect their ability to hoard the best young talent.
Clubs are now barred from sending over eight players out on international loans or having more than eight loanees on the books at any one time from 1 July.
This number will be reduced to seven from 1 July 2023, and finally six from the same date in 2024.
In other news, significant update on Man City bid to sign Ben Chilwell.