THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION plans to reduce the number of foreign players each club is permitted to signing due to Brexit. 

According to a report in The Times today, English football’s governing body is under pressure to strike a deal with the Premier League and the proposal will be put to the 20 clubs this week. 

Premier League squads can currently contain 17 overseas players, but the changes would see that number cut to 12 — meaning half will have to be made up of “homegrown” players. 

In return, the FA would reportedly agree to give a “governing body endorsement” for a work permit for every foreign players who earns a Premier League contract. 

If the two bodies can’t come to an agreement, however, they could face a scenario where “all EU players would have to fulfil the same criteria that non-EU players do now in order to get a work permit”. 

Manchester City, Tottenham, Watford, Brighton and Huddersfield all have 17 foreign players at present, while Chelsea (16), Liverpool (16) Fulham (16), West Ham (16), Arsenal (15), Manchester United (14), Newcastle United (14) and Leicester City (13) would also be affected if the changes were brought in.  

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