The Football Association is reportedly wary of relaxing its rules around Premier League sides signing foreign players over fears it would negatively impact the England team.

Following the ratification of Brexit, rules around buying overseas players became stricter, making life more difficult in the transfer market.

The current rules on Premier League clubs signing players from abroad were put in place in January 2021 following Britain's departure from the European Union, which saw the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) system introduced by the FA.

The Times now report that while Premier League teams want to see the stance softened, there are fears inside the FA of the knock-on effect for Gareth Southgate's England team. 

The report adds that data on the number of English players starting in the Premier League each week has 'alarmed' the FA.

It is claimed that the governing body has been alarmed by statistics that the number of England-qualified players starting Premier League matches has dropped to 33 per cent from 35 per cent two seasons ago and 38 per cent a decade ago.