Brexit: Implications for the Premier League

The decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum has far reaching implications that go beyond the nation’s economy, business, trade and work environment. The English Premier League, Britain’s number one sporting showcase would also be hit with this latest development as many EU players would have difficulties in signing for Premier League clubs. From Anthony Martial and David de Gea at Manchester United to David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City, and to Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta at Chelsea, the Premier League biggest spenders still build their squads around Europe’s top talent. The Premier League would have issues with signing the best young players from other European players as they would have to qualify for a work permit before plying their trade in Britain. “The best young players are frequently scouted from around the EU and there are good numbers of EU players under 18 years of age at academies here,” said Andrew Osborne, a partner specialising in immigration at Lewis Silkin LLP, a London-based law firm. “In the event that Britain leaves the EU, young players will not be able to move from the EU to English clubs under the age of 18 years and so clubs here will not have access to a significant pool of talent. “Young players from the EU are unlikely to be able to qualify for a work permit and so, again clubs here will be limited in the players they recruit.” The Premier League remains the most exciting League and this aside its huge sponsorship is due to the influx of the crème da la crème of Europe’s best players into it. With Brexit, many European players seeking transfer to the Premier League may find it difficult to move as they would most certainly need to apply for visas that would hamper the entire transfer process due to extra delays and red tape. Daniel Alfreds, from sports law firm Couchmans LLP, said: “At present, a Spanish or Polish player can be transferred on a Friday and be playing for an English club on a Saturday without any delay.” “It could cause several issues and uncertainties during transfer negotiations. Many European players may not qualify for an automatic visa, it takes time to receive approval during which a non-UK club may poach a player and it can be costly, particularly if the decision is taken to appeal.” So if this policy was in play last season players like Leicester’s Ngolo Kante (a key figure in the title-winning team) and West Ham’s Dmitri Payet may not have joined both clubs. British players would also have some challenges transferring to other EU clubs as they would have to secure visas, work permits and fulfill other criteria set in the guidelines.