By Matthew Jones
December 16 2004

UEFA will today reveal new proposals which would see the influence of foreigners limited, and home-grown players rise in numbers. European football's governing body has been considering the move for some months. But what will this mean for the Premierships top teams? Clubs would be limited to just 25 players - Four of these players MUST have come up through the academy ranks. A further four players must have been reared inside the same national association.

The Journal reported today that: Under the proposals, set to be agreed by Uefa's executive committee in Nyon today, there would be a transitional period starting next season building up to the full implementation in four years.

An example of how an English team could be affected, would be Arsenal, and 17-year-old Cesc Fabregas. Because he has not been at the club for three full years, the Spanish midfielder wouldn't be regarded as having been trained by the club.

One member of UEFA's club competitions committee said: "It is a controversial subject and it needs a lot more consultation with the clubs before it is passed.

"If Uefa try to push it through without this consultation then they could end up facing legal challenges."

The final decision will be decided in April next year.

Lars-Christer Olsson, chief executive of Uefa, said last month: "It is not so much the top clubs but it is those in the middle range who are importing cheap players instead of developing them.

"In Austria for example, even in the semi-professional leagues they are importing players from Slovakia, Hungary and Nigeria. If we bring in a minimum quota of players trained in that country - but of any nationality - then we have to have a limit on the squad size too.

"It makes no sense if you have 40 players in a squad."

Five (Arsenal, Chelsea, Celtic, Rangers and Ajax) of last season's 32 sides in the Champions League would not have had enough home-grown players: