The United Kingdom’s monumental decision to leave the European Union obviously has consequences which are much more important than the football-related ones. Sorry Mr. Shankly.
But the result of yesterday’s historic referendum will have an affect on the players who are eligible to play in the Premier League. Bet you’re second guessing your decision already, Brexiters?
Investment banker Keith Harris has revealed that there are a host of top-class talents who would not have been granted moves to the English top flight in a post-Brexit United Kingdom.
Harris told Sky Sports that N’golo Kante, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Dimitri Payet would not have been allowed to join their clubs because they would not have qualified for work permits.
“It was a shock result,” said Harris. “There are four players that we can reflect on and the impact they had on their clubs last year, who may not have been able to come in. Kante, who had a huge impact at Leicester, Martial at Manchester United, Lukaku at Everton and Payet at West Ham.
“I wonder how attractive the Premier League would have been and how well those clubs would have done without those specific players, and that’s the kind of thing we are now speculating about.”
Currently, players from countries within the EU can work in Britain without a work permit, but that is poised to change over the next few years following the victory for the leave campaign.
Europeans could now be subject to the same immigration rules as non-EU imports, where players from a top-10 nation have to have played 30% of their international games over a two-year period.
A player from a nation ranked 11-20 must have played in 45 per cent of international games and that percentage rises to 60 per cent for the next 10 countries, then 75 per cent for nations ranked 31-50.
Think how worse off the Premier League would have been without Kante, Payet, Martial and Lukaku last season. Football fans should demand a second referendum on the EU debate immediately…
SEE MORE:
Brexit: The impact of UK vote to leave EU on the Premier League
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