Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta has detailed the impact of Brexit on stopping English clubs from signing young talents.
Friday’s edition of El País has a lengthy interview with the Spaniard, and he admitted it will be difficult for other top European leagues to close the gap on the Premier League when it comes to spending on new players.
The Leeds chief was then quizzed on how the economic power of the English football can be countered. This is when he made an observation on how Brexit has helped clubs outside the UK.
“The top six of the Premier League are finding it difficult to sign players under 19. If you are a continental club, or you produce high-level youth players, or you get ahead of the talent, as Bayern does with guys like Mathys Tel, or Madrid with Vinicius or Valverde,” he said.
“Teams on the continent have to take the risk of incorporating players of the range from 17 to 19 years, taking advantage of the legislative uncertainties of Brexit in this regard. If those players are free at 19, 20 or 22, they’ll end up in the Premier League.”
When asked what Brexit means for the Premier League, the Leeds director revealed the message sent to the UK government.
“It is the weak point. We have told the government the best generation of young Englishmen in recent history have grown up competitive in the youth ranks with talent exported from around the world: that has led to Sterling, Foden, Saka, Alexander-Arnold…” Orta said.
“Instead of protecting the English player, if they don’t change the legislation, they will achieve the opposite. England were champions of the under-17 and under-20 world thanks to the Europeanisation of its youth academies.”
