Arsenal would have to sell at least one player if the FA’s proposal for new homegrown rules post-Brexit comes into effect, according to reports.

Arsenal's Spanish head coach Unai Emery gestures during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg football match between FC BATE Borisov and Arsenal FC in Borisov outside Minsk on February 14, 2019. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP / Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Unai Emery gestures during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg football match between FC BATE Borisov and Arsenal FC in Borisov outside Minsk on February 14, 2019. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP / Getty Images)

The Guardian write that the FA sees Brexit as an opportunity to increase the number of English players in the Premier League. They want to cut the maximum number of non-homegrown players in each team’s 25-player squad from 17 to 12. The Premier League itself is completely set against this change, for what it’s worth.

Arsenal currently have the maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in their Premier League squad, as listed below:

  • Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
  • Cohen Bramall
  • Petr Cech
  • Mohamed Elneny
  • Sead Kolasinac
  • Laurent Koscielny
  • Alexandre Lacazette
  • Bernd Leno
  • Stephan Lichtsteiner
  • Henrikh Mkhitaryan
  • Nacho Monreal
  • Shkodran Mustafi
  • Mesut Ozil
  • Sokratis Papastathopoulos
  • Lucas Torreira
  • Granit Xhaka
  • Denis Suarez

However, a number of these players will no longer be using up a spot by this summer. Cohen Bramall’s contract expires in June and Petr Cech is planning to retire, making them both near certain to leave.

Stephan Lichtsteiner’s initial Arsenal deal was only a year long, and if the club choose not to activate their extension option he’ll be off the books as well. Denis Suarez is only in North London on loan, so Arsenal could just choose not to take up their option-to-buy.

Even so, that leaves Arsenal on 13 non-homegrown players, one over the proposed limit. They’d have to sell one player as a result.

That doesn’t sound so bad, but the club would then have to sell another player for every single signing they want to make this summer. Given the struggle Arsenal already have in the transfer market, new restrictions would likely only amplify their problems.

Let’s hope the restrictions never end up coming into place.