FIFA plans to cap player loans and tighten agent rules

LAUSANNE: FIFA plans changes to the international transfers rules that would limit player loans and create a clearing house to handle agents fees, a source said on Thursday.

FIFA wants to limit to "between six and eight" the number of players one club can lend each season, the source said.

The aim would be to "guarantee the sports equality between clubs" and to stop clubs, particularly in England and Italy, signing large numbers of players and loaning them out immediately.

Last season, Premier League giants Chelsea had 38 players out on loan. This season, Italian champions Juventus have at least 25 players out on loan.

Another FIFA proposal would be to create a clearing house, managed by a bank, to handle the solidarity payments from transfer fees due to clubs that trained players in their youth systems. This clearing house would also be respon- sible for handling payments to agents.

FIFA, which did away with agent licenses in 2015, is planning to reintroduce them with an exam.

FIFA made a brief statement on Thursday saying it created a "stakeholders commission" to conduct "a comprehensive review of the transfer system". It said the commission "is currently assessing potential changes to the system in several key areas, including, among others, the regulations on intermediaries, solidarity payments to training clubs, streamlining of transfer payments, protection of minors, loans, squad sizes and transfer widows".