Transfers: Sverre Nypan to Manchester City and how English clubs navigate to the Brexit market

Manchester City took her first step with an ESC to secure Nypan. The teenager did not qualify for a GBE because he only has seven points.

The Avenue of Clubs, the 16-year-old, like Arsenal with CESC Fabregas in 2003, are over because the FIFA regulations prevent them from signing players under the age of 18.

This rule was replaced by the EU freedom of movement until Brexit, so the movement of 16 and 17-year-olds in the EU is still common and one of the main reasons why more Irish players can now be found in European clubs.

However, there are other options. Tottenham signed Vuskovic for ESC rules when he was 16 years old in 2023. The central defender stayed with Hajduk Split before it was borrowed from Radomiak Radom in Poland and Belgium side Westerlo.

He played 36 times last season and scored seven goals when Westerlo took seventh place in Belgium's top flight. Spurs' work paid off with Vuskovic, which was now classified as a GBE, and he gave his Croatia debut against the Czech Republic last month.

Chelsea also used the system for its advantage. Andrey Santos signed with Vasco de Gama in January 2023 and was loaned on the Brazilian side after she first missed a work permit.

He received one in the summer and sent out to Nottingham Forest for 2023-24. However, he only led two appearances before joining an 18-month loan in Strasbourg, the French sister club in Chelsea.

Kendry Paez, Mike Penders, Dario Essugo and Estevao Willian all moved to the Stamford Bridge over GBE deals this summer after they have originally stayed in their parents' clubs.

Newcastle was active on the ESC market by signing 18-year-old winger Antonio Cordero from Malaga.

“The trend is to get young players and set a long contract, and it gives them a lot of flexibility,” said Andy Watson, owner of the GBE Expert Hub website, which leads clubs to the subtleties of the system.

“Then hopefully establish yourself. Santos of Chelsea is a great example. You will probably keep it, but could have sold it for ten million.

“It is a business in terms of player trade. You have to have careful planning. You cannot sign anyone.

“There was more freedom with the ESC slots, but there has to be a plan of how the players can get out of these slots. They can only use four.

“ESC is used to commit players who are very young and have a little more risk, and they would not surprise them if those who used ESC more than others are bournemouth, aston villa, wolves.

“About 75-80% of the ESC transfers [in 2024-25] were for 18-year-olds. “