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Premier League bosses are urging the FA to help clubs sign top foreign talent by easing their restrictions on work permits after Chelsea’s £18m Brazilian signing Andrey Santos missed out on a single point.
The Premier League has told the 20 clubs that they will lobby the Football Association to significantly lower the points threshold on their work permit to make it easier for them to recruit foreign talent.
Sportsmail has learned that senior bosses will ask the FA to reduce the total number of Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) points required for foreign players to obtain a visa from 15 to 12, although that figure remains under review. .
Premier League director of soccer Tony Scholes briefed the clubs in early February about how they plan to pressure the FA to ease its restrictions on signing foreign players.
Since Brexit, potential overseas transfer targets must meet certain criteria under the GBE system before being cleared to play in England.
Each foreign player must reach a target of 15 points, based on a weighted point system that includes the quality of the league they currently play in, how often they have played and caps, before being granted a work permit. .
Chelsea couldn’t get a work permit for Brazilian wunderkind Andrey Santos
And in the Scholes report, a proposal to lower the current threshold to 12 points was discussed. There is skepticism among clubs that the FA will accept the recommendation.
Ways to make it easier for players to reach the required point total were also discussed during the recent meeting.
It is understood that top-flight bosses are looking to add more weight to footballers who play in peripheral leagues, such as in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, and those who ply their trade in the second tier of the big leagues.
The renewal of the ‘panel of exceptions’ that governs players who do not reach the 15-point mark is also being analysed.
The Premier League is also lobbying to help ease the ban on clubs signing players under the age of 18.
In the past, a wild card system has been discussed, which would provide clubs with a “free pass” to sign a limited number of players under the age of 18.
Talks between football authorities and the Government over a revamp of current visa laws as part of Whitehall’s plans to set up an independent football regulator are underway.
Chelsea recently postponed their visa application for Brazilian youngster Andrey Santos knowing the 18-year-old is unlikely to accumulate enough GBE points.
The Blues have signed Santos from Palmeiras for £16m but have had to delay his arrival at the game until they are sure he will be eligible for FA clearance.