FIFA are set to introduce new loan regulations from next season that will place a cap on the number of players that a club can loan out during a season.
The decision was passed by the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee last year and will be passed to the FIFA Council for its approval with the view to being implemented on 1 July 2022. The new rules will see a club allowed to loan out a maximum of eight players during the 2022/23 season with this number reducing by one each season so that by the 24/25 season clubs will only be allowed to loan out 6 players at any given time during the season.
FIFA hopes that the new rules will help to develop young players, promote competitive balance and prevent clubs from hoarding players despite knowing they will be loaned out season after season. For example Chelsea currently have 20 players out on loan for this season meaning that they will have to more than half this number when the new regulations come into force for next season.
Further regulation changes include clubs only being allowed to loan in three players from a single club, loans being a maximum of 1 year and ensuring a written agreement defines the duration and financial conditions.
