London, Apr 28 (IANS): England's Football Association said in its annual financial report that overseas players are set to be subject to a football-specific points-based criteria for getting a work permit for playing in the Premier League.

The points system was earlier supposed to be taken only by non-European players coming to the country to play for a club. However, the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union would mean that European players will have to go through the same. This has led to feats of lower participation in the league from European countries and a subsequent devaluation of television rights.

The new points system, the details of which is yet to be finalisd according to The Times, will make it easier for clubs to sign non-European players but more difficult to sign European players who are below a certain level of qualities and could be brought in because of being cheaper than English players.

The number of international caps won by a player, the world ranking of his or her country, the transfer fee and the player's proposed salary compared to other players in the league will all be taken into consideration.

The FA said it was "proactively trying to mitigate and leverage" the "risks and opportunities" presented by Brexit.

"This has a potential negative impact on the number of European players entering the English game, which could result in a devaluation of the domestic rights of English competitions but could be an opportunity for the English players in the Premier League but also other leagues from the EFL to the Women's Super League," the FA said in its strategic report.