Premier League Post-Brexit & Post-Free Movement

Premier League clubs would have a harder time hiring European talent like N'golo Kante after leaving the EU.

The top flight of British football--the Premier League--is arguably not the most competitive in Europe if you go by the number of European Champions League winners it has produced. That said, the overall level of competition may be rather higher given its higher wages than comparable first divisions in other European countries. Something that has enabled a lot of transfer activity to the Premier League was being part of the European Union, where freedom of movement is part of the deal for EU citizens.

The UK's impending [sort of?] exit from the European Union is causing some consternation among Premier League clubs that will lose easy accessibility to European footballing talent. Instead of being readily available almost as though they were British, European players would now fall under the same restrictions facing migrant workers from elsewhere in the world. Fewer marquee European names playing in England due to these restrictions could negatively impact Premier League revenues:

England’s standing in the soccer world would be diminished if EU stars gravitated to other countries after Brexit, potentially cutting the value of future TV rights after the current 8-billion-pound ($10.5 billion) deal expires. Players from the bloc are allowed in to the U.K. under EU freedom of movement rules, while athletes from elsewhere must meet criteria that only permit the highest level of foreign players, judged on criteria including age and how many times they have played for their national team.

It's  not going to be the same. That said, there are plans afoot to tailor immigration rules to the demands of this sport:

The league says that, under current rules that apply to athletes from outside the EU, two French players who were crucial to Leicester City winning the championship in 2016, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante, wouldn’t have gained admittance to the U.K. in a post-Brexit world.

The government wants to develop an immigration system that’s in the best interest of the whole of the U.K., and plans to make initial proposals for a new policy later in the autumn, a spokesman said. “We recognize the importance of sport to the nation and within that the contribution that international talent makes,” the government said in a statement. “We are in discussions with key representatives from the sport sector, including the Premier League, regarding the challenges and opportunities that our EU exit brings.’’

Together with most things concerning Brexit, the fate of hiring foreign footballers is up in the air. Then again, there is no certainty that the departure will happen.