10 Jul 2016 13:43:39
Which of the European players in the first team squad would qualify for a automatic permit, if the EEA rule on free movement of labour no longer applied? That could well be the situation in 2018 or 2019.

Based on the proportion of times they have played an international in the last 2 years, (and excluding non-European players because they needed a work permit anyway), it is an even split. De Gea, Martial, Blind, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger and Ibrohimovic would qualify, but Depay, Mata, Januzaj, Herrera, Schneiderlin and Fosu Mensah would not.

I do suspect though, that many in the above list would not be in the squad come September 2018. Who do you think will to be here then? My guess is 3 - De Gea, Martial and Fosu Mensah.

1.) 10 Jul 2016
10 Jul 2016 15:25:21
Pretty sure it's nowhere near as simple as that, Ed001 has told us that leaving the EU will not have a massive effect.

From a political point of view there is a good chance the government will agree to a certain amount of free movement anyway in the deal we do with the EU.

2.) 10 Jul 2016
10 Jul 2016 15:26:35
Setter from the ones you listed as not being eligible for automatic permit I think depay is the only one not able to gain citizenship through period of residence as long as they all stay until end of 18/ 19.

Anyway, as one of the eds eluded to, visas for footballers will be completely irrelevant.

3.) 10 Jul 2016
10 Jul 2016 15:46:50
The right to remain through residence requires 5 years, which means they needed to be a resident in August 2013. If they instead applied for and gained British citizenship in the meanwhile, that would be a different matter. There is always the possibility of succeeding via the appeal process, but I was considering solely automatic qualification.

After the upheavals of the last few weeks, I would be very chary at predicting a political outcome. If the UK remains in the EEA (of which the EU is part) free movement to at least a great extent will remain, like Norway and Switzerland enjoy today, but there is no guarantee of that.

I was expecting that someone would comment that several of the players who would automatically qualify were those, like Mata and Blind, who many posters wanted to be sold during this window.