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Exclusive: Premier League already looking to South America and Africa for players if no-deal Brexit passes
Premier League clubs are already plotting 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.
Premiership rugby clubs and cricket's County Championship are also likely to be given increased powers to bring in global talent to offset fears about losing star names from the Southern Hemisphere when the European Court of Justice "Kolpak ruling" expires.
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.
That would dramatically change the way clubs across British sport do international business, not least 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 were plucked from relative obscurity by Leicester City. The 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 the current Governing Body Endorsement system, but remains at odds over FA demands to increase homegrown 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 by the Daily Telegraph.
A senior official at one of the top-tier's most successful clubs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were determined to see Brexit as an opportunity. Scouting networks outside Europe, particularly in Africa and South America, are being increased because "the only option will be for the Government and FA to relax the rules," the source said.
Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman, also said he believed new freedoms would "open up a pool of global talent", and be of potential advantage to smaller clubs who are unable to compete with the pricing bubble around players in Europe.
"Post-Brexit we will be open to the world - we get to set our own rules," he said. "Our own tariffs and our own quotas would allow us to open up to a pool of global talent and massively reduce our transfer spend. Currently we have a huge payments deficit with Europe, effectively UK TV money being redistributed to European leagues via a system that favours countries like Germany and France. At the same time we can make rules that would not currently be allowed under EU Law to favour British players in squads."
The Premier League, Football Association and Government have been locked in talks over proposals for the world's most lucrative domestic competition for months. One source close to negotiations said discussions over plans are "in a state of flux" as both the league and FA are in the process of replacing chief executives, and continue to disagree over future homegrown player quotas.
Parish said he believes the Government will step in. "The Government, not the FA, issue work permits and I’m sure they will want to build on the global success of the Premier League and help build better national squads," he said. "Brexit for football is a no-brainier and an easy win win for all parties. The league, the FA and the economy."
With the Premier League and FA failing to break a deadlock in discussions, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, which has been advising Government and working with sporting bodies, said the need to formulate a clear plan for all domestic sport is urgent. The Home Office published a Policy Paper in December providing assurances that Europeans currently playing in the UK will have their citizenship protected.
In return for easing the points system, the FA has been asking the Premier League to agree to a limit of 13 non-homegrown players. The current level is 17, and it is likely the league and governing body will eventually need to agree to reach a compromise figure.
The Government has told the FA that "all players whether from within or without the European Economic Area (EEA) must be treated the same.
“It is of course possible a compromise may be found to mitigate this impact," said Leigh Thompson, of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
An FA spokesman said: "We are continuing to work with the Premier League, EFL and a range of government departments, including: DCMS; Home Office; Treasury during this consultation period."