Agent: Foreign player flood will slow

A top agent has told ESPN Soccernet that the dynamics of buying foreign players has hit its own 'recession' with the pound crashing against the euro in recent years.

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Didier Drogba celebrates one of over one hundred goals for Chelsea.

The agent maintained that clubs may not invest in big-name foreign players, certainly not at the same levels, and the players themselves won't be as keen to come to England as they will be able to earn more in other countries.

"Transfer deals are now up to 30% dearer to bring over foreign players,'' he said. "Look at the drop of the number of foreign players bought in the summer, and it will become alarmingly worse. The Premier League brand has relied largely on the import of big-name foreign stars, and this is going to slow down considerably.

"Most reasonably good foreign players earn 1.5 million euros net abroad, and a few years ago that was affordable for the Premier League clubs, paying £30,000-a-week, and topped up with image rights, the player could expect £40,000-a-week.

"But the same player on the same wages, would now need to be paid £60,000-a-week gross by the English club, and for many, apart from the top clubs in the Premier League, this is no longer affordable. It is going to be worse when income tax next year is 50%, much worse. I can foresee the flood of foreign players, which became restricted over last summer, coming to a trickle.

"Clubs will want to turn to English players more, who will put up with the increase in taxation here. But if you were Chelsea looking for a long-term replacement for Didier Drogba, which English player would you go for? Hardly a big choice. In fact, no choice.

"That is why the value of young English players has soared. Youngsters who might have been valued at £2 million a couple of years ago would be priced at £5 million, £6 million. The top young English players now come with a premium price tags.

''With clubs also needing to top up their English contingent with the new rules on home grown players, their value will increase even more.''