Premier League Clubs to Relax Restrictions for Foreign Player Signings
Reports by The Athletic claim that the FA is ready to soften its hardline stance regarding the signing of foreign players in the EPL. This is after the 20 top-flight clubs unanimously supported a proposal that gives them more room to sign foreign players. The paper reports that this issue was raised during the recent meeting of all EPL club representatives.
According to the reports, Mark Bullingham, the FA Chief Executive, also attended the September 21 meeting. The paper further states that the Chief Executive said he was ready to soften his stance after long-drawn calls to relax the existing restrictions.
Current regulations came into effect in January 2021 after the UK withdrew from the European Union. This saw the FA introduce the GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) system. It is similar to the 2020 changes by the UKGC that impacted the gambling industry, especially the best RTP casino games.
The new ranking system by the FA greatly affected the number of players EPL clubs could sign from abroad. Although the system omits international players or players at a major club, players who don’t fall under these categories must garner at least 15 points in the scoring system to complete an EPL move.
This system considers the league quality and the competitions they play in. If the player meets the requirements, their price tag will inevitably rise. Clubs are also currently restricted from signing foreign under-18 players.
GBE places worldwide leagues in different bands and players in higher-band leagues get more points. A good example is band-three countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Players from these leagues have higher chances of meeting the GBE requirements. However, signing players from lower European leagues like France League 2 and Germany Bundesliga 2 is challenging.
EPL clubs continue pumping millions abroad
The FA argues that the current regulation forces EPL clubs to invest money into the country’s lower leagues as they search for footballing talent. But still, Premier League clubs have continued splashing millions into signing new European players.
Numbers show that EPL clubs spent a whopping £1.9 billion on new signings this summer. As expected, 62% of that amount was spent outside the English football system, with clubs overspending on the restricted talent pool. This deprives the lower leagues of money.
The Athletic further reports that foreign clubs make ‘crazy profits’ from EPL sales, thanks to the ‘extra taxes.’ This denies the English football game millions of pounds. EPL clubs argue that softer regulations would help them financially, and lower GBE points will make it easier for them to sign foreign talents.
The FA hopes the GBE system will protect and improve the English men’s team. However, no statistical evidence shows that foreign signings may harm the general English football pyramid. After the September 21 meeting, Bullingham agreed that the proposal should be studied.
The report claims that a foreign proposal is yet to be put on the table. The FA, EFL, and EPL are expected to agree on a single approach they will present to the government.
