How the Premier League transfer market could be revolutionised with this rule

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

The transfer window in Europe's top leagues closed two weeks ago, but several clubs in the Premier League are lacking squad depth to the point where one serious injury could derail their season.

Both Merseyside outfits, Liverpool and Everton, currently have just one available out-and-out striker in their team. The former are still missing the sidelined Hugo Ekitike, while the latter saw a last-minute move for Folarin Balogun collapse on Deadline Day.

The Toffees, in particular, endured a miserable end to the transfer window and are left well short of options. David Moyes currently has just 18 senior outfield players at his disposal. In addition to lacking options up top, city rivals Liverpool also have a right-back problem.

Current ETV

Folarin Balogun

F (C)

Monaco

Folarin Balogun

F (C)

Monaco

€20.7M

ETV Range

€18.6M - €22.8M

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They are not the only clubs who could do with another striker. Having sold Omar Marmoush to Tottenham, Man City's only centre-forward is Erling Haaland. Elsewhere, Man Utd and Newcastle can ill-afford a left-back injury, while Arsenal are thin on the ground when it comes to left-wingers.

Obviously, you could say that those clubs should simply have done better in the transfer market, and that would be a valid point. After all, they had two months to complete their business. But sometimes it's not that simple.

Does the Premier League need more emergency transfer rules?

Now that the window is closed, the only two options Premier League clubs have to make up the numbers are calling up players from the youth system or signing free agents, who are often either ageing stars or players who haven't played competitive football in a while.

Should an emergency arise, Premier League clubs face major restrictions compared to other leagues. The only rule that exists pertains to goalkeepers: if no registered senior shot-stoppers are available, a club can apply for special dispensation to complete a short-term loan.

By comparison, some leagues have significantly more sophisticated and complex emergency transfer laws, one of the most high-profile and frequently used ones being the so-called "joker" rule in Ligue 1.

As soon as the summer transfer window shuts, the "joker" window opens and permits clubs to make one more domestic-based signing if certain conditions are met. This special window closes the day before the January transfer period begins.

Almost every year, there is at least one club in Ligue 1 that feels compelled to sign a "joker." Right now, OGC Nice and Le Havre are considering using this special rule to add another body.

A regular "joker" is not to be confused with a "medical joker," who can be signed at any time if a goalkeeper suffers a serious injury, if a player gets injured for more than three months on international duty with France or, in the most extreme case, if a player passes away.

A crucial factor here is that there are no release clauses in France, so clubs are under no obligation to accept offers for possible "jokers." This means that players who move are generally those who failed to secure a move before the transfer window shut.

In 2019, Valentin Rongier was set to join Marseille from Nantes, but the clubs did not manage to complete all the necessary paperwork on Deadline Day. Nevertheless, he ended up playing for OM that season because they used their "joker" on him the next day.

It is therefore impossible for clubs to be blindsided by sudden "joker" offers and lose their best players outside of the transfer window. This was notoriously the case when LaLiga still had its emergency transfer rule.

Up until the summer of 2020, clubs in LaLiga were able to make an additional signing to replace a seriously injured player with no restrictions regarding the triggering of release clauses - which almost every player in Spain has.

This rule had to be scrapped when Barcelona caused widespread outrage by signing striker Martin Braithwaite from relegation-battling Leganes at the end of February 2020 after Ousmane Dembele suffered a long-term injury.

Leganes were powerless to stop the transfer as Barcelona had triggered the Dane's €18 million release clause, and they were also not permitted to sign a replacement of their own. They ended up getting relegated without their star striker.

Elsewhere, clubs in Major League Soccer can make short-term signings if they qualify for the "Extreme Hardship" rule by having fewer than 16 outfield players or fewer than two goalkeepers available.

So, does the Premier League need more emergency transfer rules? It's not a necessity, but the creation of a "joker"-style system like in Ligue 1 could add a completely new dimension to the transfer market for English clubs.

Just look at Richarlison right now. He hasn't been registered for the Premier League by Tottenham and would be a prime candidate for a "joker" loan deal that would allow him to join a Premier League club in need of a striker.

This would be a win-win scenario for all involved after a failed transfer during the window. Richarlison would get to play this season (or at least until January), while his value would be protected and allow Spurs to sell him at a later date.

Such a rule does not exist, however, and Richarlison is instead locked in a legal battle with his club over a costly contract termination.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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