Premier League clubs could be set for a summer of frantic transfer activity with the regulations almost certain to be revisited at the end of the Brexit transition period.
FIFA has stated that the current rules will remain unchanged until the end of the year, leaving one more summer window under existing regulations.
FIFA does not permit the international transfer of under-18s unless certain exceptions apply - one of which is if the player is moving within the European Union or European Economic Area.
There had been concerns that this current window might be the last chance to register under-18 players from the EU, with Great Britain officially leaving the EU at 11pm on Friday.
However, FIFA's understanding is that under the terms of the UK's Withdrawal Agreement, EU law - including on freedom of movement - remains in force until the transitional period ends.
There will be no issues concerning older players moving to the Premier League from the EU in the summer either, with the transition period still in effect. Currently non-EU players have to satisfy a Home Office points-based system in order to be registered.
It is currently unclear if that 'governing body endorsement' system will be extended to include players from the EU beyond December 31, 2020, or whether entirely new regulations will be introduced.
But Premier League clubs will almost certainly be unable to continue recruiting under-18 players from the EU or EEA beyond the end of the year, something which has given them an advantage on other rival nations in the past.
"I think clubs this summer will be looking to build their last foundation of European wonderkids who go on to be key first-team players," Jason Shardlow-Wrest, a litigation lawyer from the sports law practice at Linklaters, told the PA news agency.
"There are some slight nuances between different European jurisdictions, with the best example being between Spain and England.
"In Spain you can only sign a professional contract at 18 whereas in England you can sign scholarship terms at 16 and a much more lucrative professional contract at 17.
"Barcelona's La Masia academy, famous as it is, has been one of the victims repeatedly. In the cases of Gerard Pique (joining Manchester United) and Cesc Fabregas (joining Arsenal) both English clubs made significant profit when they took advantage of this exception when they were in their teens."
A knock-on effect of the change to the rules around signing under-18s will be the effect on homegrown quotas.
Previously overseas players who had trained in an English academy for three years before turning 21 had been classified as homegrown, but this would become impossible if players could not be signed before turning 18.
The Football Association has previously stated it wants the number of overseas players in each 25-man Premier League squad brought down from 17 to 13 post-Brexit.
The Premier League says there is no evidence this would provide any benefit to the England team, and is understood to favour the current split of 17 overseas and eight homegrown players per squad.
It is understood representatives from the FA will make a presentation to top-flight clubs at the next Premier League shareholders' meeting on February 6.
At the same meeting, clubs are set to discuss whether to leave the summer transfer deadline in its current position before the season starts, push it back to the end of August or approve a 'hybrid' model.
Under that approach, transfers between English clubs would cease before the season starts but the window would remain open up to the end of August for international transfers.
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We will be providing live coverage on Friday ahead of the 2300 GMT deadline, keeping you across all the completed transfers across the Premier League, Sky Bet EFL and Europe.
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