Joe Montemurro has confirmed that Arsenal are already planning for life in a new, post-Brexit England where EU players will be restricted and the FA are about to implement another homegrown rule.

BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 18: Joe Montemurro, Manager of Arsenal is interviewed following the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women at Meadow Park on October 18, 2020 in Borehamwood, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 18: Joe Montemurro, Manager of Arsenal is interviewed following the Barclays FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women at Meadow Park on October 18, 2020 in Borehamwood, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

I spoke to Joe Montemurro, via Zoom, after Arsenal’s impressive 3-0 win over Birmingham on Sunday  and asked him if the Brexit, combined with the new homegrown rule set to take place next season was impacting the club recruitment strategy: “Obviously, we are already starting the succession planning,” he answered. “Lotte is one [of the players we have already signed].

“We will have to look at a couple of local players coming in within our structure.”

You would hope like someone like Anna Patten will be signed in January as she has finished her studies at South Carolina in the USA and was with us for many years as a youth team player and was also key in the Spring Series alongside Wubben-Moy.

“We already have things in place for next season, players that are out of contract or that needs to be renewed are happening now,” he added.  

Players like Miedema who is THE player to tie down ASAP and Roord, who has had a brilliant start this season, need to be re-signed.

Maier and Zinsberger might also be on the list of players whose contracts finish at the end of the 2020/21 season.

The big question is will they be renewed? We have to remember that Joe Montemurro releases one senior goalkeeper every summer. Moorhouse, van Veenendaal and Peyraud-Magnin all left the club in the three summer transfer windows managed by Montemurro.

“There are things to be taken into consideration like the homegrown law,” Montemurro continued.

“That one seems to be shifting a little bit, so until we get a clear direction on that then we can probably define what we want to do. We are looking locally for our succession planning.”

Originally, the news came through that teams would need eight homegrown players next season and Arsenal currently have seven: Williamson, Mead, Little, Wubben-Moy, Nobbs, Beattie, and Stenson.

This will, of course, depend on the definition of homegrown from the FA, as obviously Little and Beattie are not English but they did do three years or more in the English system before they reached 21 years old.

We will have to wait and see when the FA comes out with that homegrown law. They have recently disclosed the new regulations for players coming to the FA WSL who need a work permit.

It’s clear to see that the door has been firmly closed on EU import, unless they come with the highest pedigree.