This week saw the announcement of new recruiting rules for UK clubs, due to European players no longer having the freedom to work in the country.
Previously, if a player had an EU passport, and this is also the case with some South American players through their heritage, they didn’t need any kind of work permit to sign for a Premier League club.
Now the changes mean no players under 18-years-of-age can be signed from the EU, extending the rule applicable for the rest of the world, and all others must meet a set of criteria.
This is going to cause problems for multiple clubs, and Roberto De Fanti, described as an ‘international agent and intermediary’, believes Leeds United could be particularly hit.
De Fanti, who has brought multiple players to the UK, has told TMW: “For City and Liverpool the problem does not exist or almost not. Burnley, WBA, the current Leeds United, will have difficulties. After the top six, all will have problems and there’s turmoil.”
The problem will also exist the other way, with players from the UK no longer having the EU benefit, meaning they’d be as hard to sign for Italian clubs as South Americans.
Leeds United will be restricted when signing obvious EU players, but there’s also the case of players like Raphinha, whose Italian passport helped him move to the Premier League.
