How new Brexit rules could change Sheffield Wednesday's transfer plans

In a nutshell, it’ll become a little more complicated for Sheffield Wednesday to sign players from EU countries.

Let’s take a look at a few questions answered.

So what’s changed?

Over to Joan Pettingill, director and head of employment and HR services at Sheffield-based Wake Smith Solicitors.

“Football clubs, along with other businesses, will have to follow similar legislation for EU nationals as they have had to for non EU nationals and will need a sponsor licence.

“This is a form of permission given to an organisation to sponsor workers in its business. There are two categories depending whether the job to be sponsored is short term or long term/permanent and businesses can apply for both.

“Currently this is not an issue due to freedom of movement between different EU Countries, but this stops at the end of the transition period. Most individuals may be able to secure visa status through the EU Settlement scheme or obtain intra-company transfers.

“Both Sheffield football clubs seem to be on the list of approved sponsors so it may be relatively easy for them to get visas arranged.”

How will the points system work?

Once freedom of movement to and from the UK is removed for EU citizens, players will have to get a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) in order to play for a UK club.

This is similar to the system currently in place for non-EU foreign nationals who do not have a recognised European dual nationality.

Their right to work in the UK will be based on a number of factors, including their number of youth and senior international appearances, alongside their club appearances, the reputation of the selling club and the quality of the league from which they are signing.

Players who reach the points threshold will be accepted, while those who fail can be put forward for consideration by an exceptions panel.

What about young players?

Clubs will not be able to sign any overseas players under the age of 18.

In the Premier League, the number of overseas under- 21 players a club can sign will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season moving forwards. The Championship are expected to follow this ruling.

Which ex-Owls would NOT have been able to sign for Wednesday under the new rules?

It’s difficult to say without having a clear look at the points, but one player that springs to mind is former Owl and Kosovo international Atdhe Nuhiu, who has Austrian dual nationality.

Nuhiu arrived in 2013 with a number of youth caps for his adopted nation, but from Rapid Vienna in the lowly Austrian league. Austria’s FIFA ranking at the time was 63.

The likes of Julian Börner and Joost van Aken would have had to go through the process, though their youth caps for high-ranking nations would have fallen in their favour as would the leagues the signed from.

The likes of Bulgarian youngster Preslav Borukov, who left Wednesday in the summer, would now not have been able to sign for the club as he was only 16 years old when he did so.

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