By Andrew Warshaw
June 27 – British football clubs could find it more difficult to operate in the transfer window as a result of the country’s shock decision to leave the European Union.
Currently players from countries within the EU do not need a work permit but that looks set to change following the vote to leave, although it is likely to be several years before the effects are felt.
Last season 432 European players were registered to play in the Premier League but new players will not have an automatic right to live and work in the UK and could now be subject to the same immigration rules as non-EU players.
If those same restrictions had been applied last year Leicester would have been unable to acquire French midfielder N’Golo Kante, such an integral part of their miraculous title-winning season, while West Ham could not have bought Kante’s compatriot Dmitri Payet, both members of the French team at Euro 2016. Neither would have met the required criteria for international appearances and nor would more than 300 other EU players in the top two divisions in England and Scotland.
The Premier League admitted the referendum outcome has created uncertainty but said there was “little point second guessing the implications until there is greater clarity.”
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said the decision could have “quite an impact on English football” but not necessarily for the worse. “My personal view has always been that the decline in the number of English players in Premier League first teams – we’re down to about 30% now – is a shame. If it increases the number of English players, that is to be welcomed. But you don’t want to lose the best European players coming here.”
Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at Salford University, said the weakness of the pound, if it continues, could also have an effect. He cautioned: “Clubs could suddenly find players are much more expensive because the pound is worth less,” he told the BBC.
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