What does Brexit Mean for British Football? Inflated transfer fees and new work permit rules for PL clubs and much more

On Thursday, citizens of Great Britain cast their votes to make the momentous decision to leave the European Union. This huge decision will have a magnanimous impact not just on the British pounds amongst others but also on sports in Europe.

This impact will be felt massively in football, rugby, cricket, tennis and elsewhere.

Brexit, (British Exit) voting to leave the European Union could now have an impact on the freedom and requirements that guide the movement and transfers of sportsmen and women from the EU to work in the UK without need for a permit. This process will now be made more complicated/ difficult with inflated transfer fees, and work permit amongst other things.

British Prime minister David Cameron who was advocate against Brexit has since Friday resigned from his position

Accoring to UK SportsMail, "The Home Office set out criteria for non-EU players to come to English football, demanding that they must have played in a certain percentage of their national team's matches over the two years prior to their application. The precise percentage depends on their country's FIFA ranking.

If this rule was also applied to players from EU countries, more than 100 Premier League players would have failed to gain a work permit. 

Extend this to the top two divisions in England and Scotland, and this rises to something like 400.

Among them would be Manchester United striker Anthony Martial, West Ham's Dimitri Payet and Leicester's N'Golo Kante, all of whom are relatively new to the France side.

If Britain had never been in the EU and these rules had always been in place, we'd never have seen Cristiano Ronaldo or Thierry Henry come to the Premier League so young.

The first thing to say is that Premier League stars from EU nations aren't going to be kicked out following Brexit. Any new rules won't be applied retrospectively.

However, in the long term, if regulations were imposed, we could see gems like Payet, Kante and Martial move somewhere other than the Premier League and that would certainly weaken its status as one of the world's best leagues.

What is likely to happen, following the no doubt long and complex negotiations at a national level, is that players from EU countries will retain a 'favoured' status, making signing them still easier than players from outside the EU.

Daniel Geey, of law firm Sheridans, speaking to Sportsmail said: 'The question is whether European players will have a harder time joining Premier League clubs, whether there is now a disincentive, whether things become difficult.

'It could be that clubs look increasingly to the UK markets and that the value of UK players - who wouldn't need visas - rises.

'But it could also be that it actually reduces the price of European players because of all the bureaucracy involved.'  

Let's look at the effect of this new decision on the Premier League using different parameters.

YOUNG PLAYERS

Premier League clubs are now in danger of missing out on talented teenage players from Europe.

Article 19 of the FIFA Regulations, concerning the Status and Transfer of Players, permits the 'transfers of minors between the age of 16 and 18 within the EU or EEA [European Economic Area].'

It means with Britain outside the EEA that leading Premier League academies such as Chelsea and Manchester City, who like to import up-and-coming players from European clubs, would find it harder to do so.

One example of a player who'd no longer be able to come to the Premier League is Arsenal's Hector Bellerin, who joined the club aged 16. 

FOOTBALL: TRANSFER FEES

The falling value of the pound against the Euro could have a knock-on effect on transfer fees, although this is considered to be in the short term.

Premier League clubs do now face a hike in prices, with millions potentially added to the price of players overnight when buying from Europe.

Though the Premier League, thanks to its lucrative television deals, retains immense spending power, some clubs may think twice if costs of elite players become prohibitive.

For example, the 40m Euro offer made by West Ham for Marseille's Michy Batshuayi has already risen from £31m last week to £34m now before of the falling pound against the Euro.  

Geey adds: 'The Premier League is always going to be a net importer. It depends now on whether the transfer fee is paid in pounds or whether it is paid in Euros.

'Likewise with wages for European players, they could be paid as a guaranteed mark in Euros and then converted into pounds afterwards.' 

FOOTBALL: PLAYER QUOTAS

Brexit poses a headache for certain Spanish clubs, with La Liga rules allowing a maximum of three non-EU players in their squad.

At Real Madrid, with Welshman Gareth Bale now classed as a non-EU player as well as James Rodriguez of Colombia and Brazilian duo Danilo and Casemiro, they will exceed this quota.

With the Bernabeu club reportedly set to offer Bale, twice a Champions League winner during his three years there, a 'contract for life', one of the others will have to go.

Source: UK SportsMail