The way in which Chelsea conducts its transfer business has come under threat today, after FIFA revealed plans to regulate – or even outright ban – the loan system in football.
While it is widely accepted that spending time on loan at smaller clubs can be beneficial for the development of young players by offering them regular first-team football and a tight-knit environment, football’s world governing body is reportedly concerned that the system in its current form is being abused.
FIFA is concerned that a number of high-profile teams are signing up as much young talent as possible, with the intention of sending them out on loan before later selling them on at a profit – with little interest in the players’ personal development or indeed, any desire to have them feature for their first team.
The governing body of world football has reportedly held talks with a number of organisations in recent months, including players’ union FIFPro, the European Club Association, the World League Forum as well as a number of retired greats such as Cafu, Zvonimir Boban, Edwin van der Sar and Marco van Basten to listen to criticisms of the current system and suggestions on how to potentially overhaul it.
As it stands, Chelsea would be one of the biggest losers were the rules to be changed; they currently have 37 players out on loan both in the UK and elsewhere, while Serie A giants Juventus are believed to have as many as 50 players on their books currently plying their trade on a temporary basis for other clubs.
FIFA allegedly view such actions as an exploitation of the loan transfer system, and its executive committee will debate new measures in October, with a report in France Football claiming one suggestion proposes limiting the number of players any one club can have under contract, leading to loans being highly regulated or even banned completely.
