Brexit Is In Full Effect On January 1, 2021, English Clubs Are No Longer Free To Bring European Players

JAKARTA - English clubs, both participants of the Premier League and the three castes below that are managed by EFL, are no longer free to bring in European players after Brexit is officially fully effective starting January 1, 2021.

European players will need to have Governing Body Approval (GBE) from the FA as it applies to other overseas players, the joint FA, Premier League and EFL announcement said Tuesday.

GBE will be determined by a points system based on three criteria, namely appearances in the national team at both senior and junior level, the quality of the home club - including the league, its position in the league and appearances in continental competitions - and the number of appearances at the home club.

Players who meet the point threshold will practically get GBE, while those whose points do not meet can submit considerations from the Exclusion Panel.

Meanwhile, Premier League teams are limited to bringing in only three players with an age of less than 21 points for the January 2021 transfer market and a maximum of six players per season.

Brexit also mandates that non-British players who are less than 18 years old are not allowed to transfer to England.

The entire agreement will take effect from the January 2021 transfer window and will be thoroughly reviewed ahead of the 2021 summer transfer window.

"Still being able to bring in the best players will keep the Premier League competitive and attractive and this solution is expected to complement the framework of developing overseas players with local talents," Premier League chairman Richard Masters said on the league's official website.

"After the January transfer window, we hope to be able to review together how this deal will impact the FA," he added.