Sources: Multiple rising stars could sign soon as Amanda Staveley reveals Newcastle plot
The Home Office will allow the FA and Premier League to thrash out an agreement over the entry requirements for overseas signings that could benefit the likes of Newcastle United, sources have told Football Insider.
The FA has historically been opposed to relaxing the visa system for fear of stifling opportunities for homegrown talent, but it is understood that their stance is beginning to soften somewhat.
There is confidence within the Premier League that change could be sparked by an imminent government review of the visa system, which was announced alongside plans for an independent football regulator in February.
Sources familiar with the matter have now told this site that the Home Office will almost certainly allow the Premier League and FA to reach an agreement independently before signing off on a new model.
Clubs have complained that the post-Brexit points system has made it harder to sign young stars from abroad, forcing them to instead sign established players at inflated prices.
Footballers must 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 awarded based on criteria such as international caps and experience in elite domestic or continental competitions, which favours players deeper into their careers.
It is partly for this reason that the likes of Man City have established multi-club networks, with the aim of parking young talent before they have the requisite points to join the mothership.
At the Financial Times Business of Football Summit last Thursday (2 March), Newcastle director Amanda Staveley revealed that her club were actively considering this model.
If the work permit system was relaxed, there would perhaps be less urgency for Newcastle to launch a multi-club network, although there are also myriad commercial and logistical reasons to do so.
It was reported last week that the FA were set to reject Premier League proposals to relax the visa procedures, but FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has since clarified that his organisation is willing to be flexible.
He did, however, stress the need to balance concerns about the inflation of transfer fees for foreign players with the need to continue to provide opportunities for domestic talent.
In other news, Tottenham and Newcastle United in race to sign Southampton star Mohammed Salisu