Manchester United will undoubtedly be one of the hardest hit Premier League clubs after new rules were announced by FIFA, restricting the number of players that can be loaned out.
According to the Athletic, FIFA are proposing that clubs will only be able to loan out a maximum of eight players over the age of 21 from next season. This will apply to all clubs around the world.
Currently, the Reds have six players aged 21 or over currently out on loan and when Tahith Chong returns to Birmingham that will take the list to seven.
The new rules will come into play next season, and then for the 2023-24 campaign that number will reduce to seven players and from 2024, clubs will only be able to send six players over the age of 21 out on loan.
However, the rules also state that players aged 21 and younger and club-trained players will be exempt from these new rules.
So far this season, Manchester United have loaned out 17 players of all ages to other clubs, but according to the Sun, Chelsea currently have 19 players out on loan.
The new rules will mean that United will have to prioritise and give great thought to the players they wish to send out on loan.
Sending youngsters out on loan to secure regular senior first team football to aid their development and adaption from academy football is crucial.
But with the likes of Dean Henderson, Phil Jones, Donny van de Beek, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial all linked with loan moves this January, United wouldn’t have the luxury of sending such a volume of international stars out on loan, under the new rules.
The aim of the new rules, which will be ratified by FIFA’s council in March is stop clubs from “hoarding” players.
There will also be a limit introduced on the number of loans per season between the same clubs.
At any given time during a season, a club may only have a maximum of three professionals loaned out to a single club and a maximum of three professionals loaned in from a single club.
Currently, Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at one time.
The maximum number of loans registrable in the same season is four, and, under no circumstances, shall more than be from the same club at any one time.
Premier League clubs cannot loan to another top-flight club a player they have acquired in the same transfer window.
A Premier League club may not loan more than one of its goalkeepers to another Premier League club.
Players who have left Manchester United on loan this season
- Brandon Williams (21) – Norwich City
- Andreas Pereira (26) – Flamengo
- Axel Tuanzebe (24) – Aston Villa and Napoli
- Facundo Pellistri (20) – Alaves
- Tahith Chong (22) – Birmingham City
- Ethan Laird (20) – Swansea City and Bournemouth
- James Garner (20) – Nottingham Forest
- Teden Mengi (19) – Birmingham City
- Di’Shon Bernard (21) – Hull City
- Ethan Galbraith (20) – Doncaster Rovers
- Dylan Levitt (21) – Dundee United
- Will Fish (18) – Stockport County
- Nathan Bishop (22) – Mansfield Town
- D’Mani Mellor (21) – Salford City
- Reece Devine (20) – St Johnstone
- Dermot Mee (19) – Trafford
- Manni Norkett (17) – Gainsborough
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