How Liverpool’s transfer plans could benefit from huge FA rule change

Football Association rule changes on transfers may have made it easier for Liverpool to sign overseas players.

Footballers joining English clubs have often struggled to legally play in the country after signing from abroad, with work permit rules often dictating that they must immediately be loaned out elsewhere in Europe before becoming eligible.

International players who do not meet the criteria of the visa system can find it difficult to obtain the necessary documentation to compete in the Premier League.

It is a problem Liverpool have not been immune from in recent years, with Allan Rodrigues and Taiwo Awoniyi both experiencing such issues and never making a first-team appearance for the Reds.

Defender Anderson Arroyo has also been loaned out to six different clubs since signing in 2016 and is also yet to kick a ball in Liverpool red.

Now, the new rule change approved by the Football Association offers those players a new avenue through which to lawfully play football in the country.

The FA have devised a ‘new football solution’, effective from this summer’s transfer window, which allows Premier League and Championship clubs to sign a maximum of four players who do not meet the current Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria.

The GBE requirements are based on factors such as international caps and minutes played in domestic leagues, meaning that each player is assessed on an individual basis and those with greater experience have more chance of being successful.

The change is said by the FA to have been introduced with a view to increasing access to “exceptional international talent” and will make it easier for top players to sign and play minutes for English clubs.

The changes have been implemented with the incentive of fielding English talent to enable access to international players who otherwise would not have met visa requirements.

It means that Liverpool will now have greater access to exciting young prospects across the globe, making it easier to sign the likes of Adama Bojang, who was linked with a £2.6 million move to Anfield earlier this week.

The Reds will be keen to add quality to the squad over the coming seasons and the rule change will allow the pool of options to be slightly greater than it was before.

Whether it will affect Jurgen Klopp‘s immediate transfer plans for this summer remains to be seen, but it should theoretically provide greater opportunities for talented youngsters around the world.