Saints have been linked with a number of keeper during the transfer window but as of yet none have actually signed, but we have lost one big potential signing to the work permit rules that are now enforced because of Braxit.

When we left the European Union there was a big change in Football, previously players who qualified for a work permit in the UK because they were fellow EU citizens and therefore had freedom of movement throughout the EU, no longer have those rights.

Previously strict rules applied for players from outside the EU which is why South American players or African Players found it hard to get into the Premier League straight away and often had to circumnavigate these rules by playing for smaller sides in the Top European Leagues in order to pass the qualifying requirements, in order to compound that a player also had to have played a certain amount of matches for his country and the number needed varies depending on the FIFA ranking of that country.

But all that is changing due to Brexit and now we are not in the EU, footballers from their are being treated in the much the same way as their counterparts from South America or Africa or for that matter anywhere in the World.

This is being cited as the reason why Bartlomiej Dragowski is now not being touted as the new number 1 at St Mary's.

The club after perusing all the work permit regulations were starting to realise that getting a work permit for him would not be as easy as it used to be, Dragowski having missed most of the season just ended as number two at Fiorentina due to firstly injury and then not being able to gain his place he would be dodgy on that part of the ruling.

But the main issue was that having been capped just twice by Poland would not qualify under the rules that state a player must play a certain percentage of his countries International fixtures in the last 12 months, this rating is tiered and Poland are ranked 26th, that means Dragowski must have played in 60% of his countries games in the last 12 months, for a keeper that is even harder due to there being fewer opportunities to come on as a sub.

The system is points based and open to appeal, but the appeal could drag on and Saints need to get a keeper in place by the start of July, so it seems that Saints although keen to bring Dragowski to the club have had to accept that the red tape will more than likely scupper them.

Likewise why Mateusz Lis is rumoured to be being signed as a free agent and then loaned out to a French top flight club, Lis would unlikely get a work permit in England at the moment but if he plays a full season in the French Top Flight he would more than likely qualify for a work permit.

But Saints didn't have that luxury in the case of Dragowski, he would perhaps have qualified last summer due to having been number one for the previous season, but not now.

Photo: Action Images

landsdownsaint added 13:00 - Jun 17 Well if Nigel Farage caused us not being able too sign a goalkeeper then he will have to step up himself between the sticks ! … it’s either Nigel or Mcarthy & I know who’s I d choose
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Colburn added 13:06 - Jun 17 Surely the club would have been already aware of any new rules before going down this avenue. If it is now the same for European players as it is for non European players then it could be argued that the landscape is fairer with no favouritism towards anyone from any part of the world, same for all... That is more inclusive than ir was before Brexit.
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underweststand added 13:29 - Jun 17 Don't think Brexit is the problem, it's the staff in UEFA / Euro countries who are trying to make things more difficult by imposing inflexible rules to stop players coming to UK. It works for those who can by-pass the regulations. Any South American player who wants to move to Italy only needs to get an Italian girlfriend, and turn up at Rome airport with a valid Passport and he will get in without any problems. If this continues we won't even be able to sign any promising talents from the Irish Republic either. Pure bl**dy-mindedness from EU.

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SaintNick added 13:49 - Jun 17 The club are well aware of the rules, but they are very complex and most transfers go to at least two appeals before being granted, The rules arent set by the EU, it's nothing to do with them, the rules are set by the FA alongside the immigration and visa department in the UK government, it is nothing to do with the EU if a player wants to leave an EU country and go elsewhere. If Italy want to make it easier for non eu players to get in that is down to them, if a South American as in your example does a year in Italy and plays the requisite amount of games etc he would get a visa. It is a points based system that the FA & Government agreed so that the quality of players coming into the EU was safeguarded, so that UK players would not be pushed out of jobs so to speak

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stmichael added 14:06 - Jun 17 Same for everybody. If Saints are aborting something they have worked on for weeks it would suggest they did not understand the rules or the implications which is amateur. Think we can safely say that as of now we are waiting for our new owners to show us "something" that would indicate things are going to be different. The clock is ticking..
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WestSussexSaint added 14:08 - Jun 17 Presumably this also hampers Sport Republics plans to share and move players between their expanding club portfolio?
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highfield49 added 15:49 - Jun 17 I don't see what the pro-Brexiteers are grumbling about, I'm sure that Nigel Farage would have explained the free movement of citizens knock on effect to all of his followers. That aside we can still sign Mattias Svanberg from Bologna because he seems to tick all of the necessary profile boxes. However, let's be optimistic and believe that the ongoing deal to sign Gavin Bazunu is the way to solve our goalkeeping issues.

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derbydog added 20:41 - Jun 17 I think this article will come back and bite you tomorrow!
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underweststand added 14:49 - Jun 21 What ever loophole was needed to sign Lis " apparently " disappeared, and now we await a loan-out to a good club (abroad) will help him to get regular game time.
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