New rule ‘opens up the world’ transfer market for Birmingham City

New work permit rules will ‘open up the world’ to Premier League and Championship clubs according to one leading agent.

Brexit rules, which came in two years ago, have limited overseas imports to English clubs to players with recent international experience with a top 50 ranked nation. Needless to say, Birmingham City haven’t been able to afford to shop in that market.

However, new laws were approved by the Home Office earlier this week which allow clubs in England’s top two tiers to sign players who don’t meet the work permit criteria. A points-based system will remain in place but Blues and their rivals can sign up to four players who don’t automatically qualify for a work permit.

“It’s massive,” says Gary Mellor, who runs Midlands-based sports agency Beswicks. “This country has had to pay so much money out to countries such as Germany, where clubs have been able to develop players like Christian Pulisic before he moved here for £50-odd million.

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“We met with Josh Sargent (the United States forward who signed for Norwich from Werder Bremen) but he couldn’t get into England. Geoff Cameron came over for £2m and played more than 160 games in the Premier League but wouldn’t have got in under new regs.

“I’ve been an advocate for changes because it’s good for football. I could see when I used to bring in international cricketers that if you put someone like Stephen Fleming into a club then they make the current players better. It’s not just their skill on a match day but if you’re training with better players, they test you every day and you learn from their approach.