Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur - as well as every other side in the Premier League - are set to be affected by the latest transfer rule change that's reportedly being considered. The top-three clubs in London spent in the region of a combined £525million on players in the summer, amounting to over a quarter of all expenditure in the league.
And, the trio could soon be set to be encouraged to spend even more in future transfer windows if they're granted greater freedom over who they can and can not sign. According to The Athletic, Premier League clubs have shown an 'unanimous support' for the relaxation of restrictions that limit the ability to sign players from abroad.
The report states that there is a general consensus among the top-flight clubs that the Football Association's stance on the rule is 'softening'. The Athletic added that the subject was discussed but not voted on at a meeting on September 21; representatives from every Premier League club were in attendance, as well as FA chief Mark Bullingham.
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Since Britain left the European Union, teams could no longer freely sign players under the age of 18 from Europe. Whether a move was able to be completed was subject to a points calculation which had a huge effect in transfer activity in the Premier League.
This saw clubs - such as Chelsea - implement a greater emphasis on signing home-grown talent. In the summer, the Blues signed England youth international's Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal, Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, Zak Struge from Brighton and Eddie beach from Southampton.
But, with signing players set to become even easier - if the Premier League do sanction the latest transfer rule change - they will likely face considerable backlash over spending. Last month, in an interview with MailOnline, MP Clive Efford said that top-flight teams should take a look at themselves after it was confirmed nearly £2billion was spent in the summer.
"When this happens during a cost-of-living crisis when there is inflation for food and energy, costs are so high, it underlines the madness of football," said the former shadow sports minister and a member of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
"Transfer deadline day does not put football in a good light. It is pretty obscene, at a time like this' added the Labour member for Eltham in south east London," he added. "Clubs should take a hard look at themselves."
"They should feel ashamed today. Football as a whole should come together and provide some sort of fund to assist people at this time and show they do understand and they do have the communities they serve at heart. They should be contributing something.
"They cannot sit there and just say we are international businesses and thumb their noses at everyone [while] spending this sort of money. It is made on the back of those communities that have sustained the clubs over generations. They should be putting more back."
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