Women's football to introduce landmark rule after free transfer loophole
A landmark change in women's football transfers has been announced by the FA to close a loophole that saw young players move on free transfers.
From now on WSL and Women's Championship clubs will receive a fee if a player is poached from their academy by a rival outfit. Teams in the WSL will receive £5,000 for every year the player has spent in the clubs' youth system, if signed by a fellow top flight club.
Compensation will only be paid when a player is signed by another team from the top two tiers of the women's game. Previously players who transferred teams under the age of 18 would move without a transfer fee, as young female players could not sign a professional contract until they turned 18.
The previous rules meant that England star Lauren Hemp moved from former club Bristol City to former WSL champions Man City on a free transfer back in 2018. Hemp was only 17 at the time, meaning the Robins did not receive a fee.
A recent high profile example was Aston Villa and Lionesses youth prodigy Evie Rabjohn complete a switch to Man Utd, without United having to pay Villa a penny in transfer fees. Understandably this left clubs in the pyramid frustrated to see their best talent taken without any compensation.
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The Head of league operations for the women’s professional game, Heather Cowan explained the rule change, telling The Telegraph: ""We want clubs to continue to invest significantly in their talent pathways, which is often where the next generation of national-team, WSL and Championship players are being developed.
"That costs money so it does seem right that those clubs are recognised for their commitment to that process, should the player leave or move on."
Man City benefited from the old rules back in 2018 to sign England star Lauren Hemp on a free transfer (AFP via Getty Images)In the men's game decent sized fees for younger players is more commonplace, with tribunals occasionally needed when a player under 24 years of age moves clubs having reached the end of his contract.
The new rules are place for this summer's transfer window, which begins next Monday, and throughout the 2023-24 season. If a player moves from a Championship team to a WSL side, the selling club will be due £2,500 for every year the player has spent at the club.
A youth player transferring between Championship clubs will cost the buyer £500 per year spent at her original club. Two sides in the Championship will be excluded from the new rules, Watford and Lewes FC.
This is because these two clubs do not yet have a PGA (Professional Game Academy) license. The fees will not be backdated, meaning they will only apply from deals done this summer and onwards.
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