Premier League clubs are planning major player recruitment searches in South America, Africa and Asia in the expectation that the Home Office will relax international working permits across professional sport after a no-deal Brexit, according to a report by the Daily telegraph.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit proposal is likely to be voted down when it comes before the House of Commons Tuesday, which will dramatically increase the chances of Britain leaving the European Union in March without a deal being secured on free movement of people.
The report said it would dramatically change the way clubs across British sport do international business, especially in football.
Around 65 per cent of European players in the Premier League would not have made it through the existing overseas permits system, including the likes of Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante, who came from relative obscurity by Leicester City.
The Premier league will also be affected by a FIFA ruling denying clubs the chance to sign any players from overseas under the age of 18.
In response, the FA’s plan is to “create a fully open market so the Premier League could access South American, African and Asian talent as easily as they currently access European players”.
The Premier League is understood to support a relaxation of the current Governing Body Endorsement system, but remains at odds over FA demands to increase home-grown player quotas.
Despite open concern from the top tier’s administration about the potential impact on sourcing overseas talent, two clubs expressed a more optimistic tone when contacted according to the Daily Telegraph.
A senior official at one of the top-tier’s most successful clubs, speaking on condition of anonymity told Daily Telegraph, they were determined to see Brexit as an opportunity.
