Newcastle United hope to complete a deal for Central Coast Mariners wonderkid Garang Kuol - but the Magpies may have to be creative to overcome potential work permit issues.
Signing players from overseas is more complicated for English clubs post- Brexit because new arrivals have to secure a certain number of governing body endorsement (GBE) points to obtain a work permit. The rules are now so strict that even Justin Kluivert was refused a work permit when Fulham attempted to sign the former Netherlands international from Roma earlier this summer because he had not played enough recent games for the Serie A giants.
A range of factors are assessed in this points-based system, including the quality of the league the new signing is coming from, how many caps they have and the domestic minutes they have played. With that in mind, in theory, Kuol would face a battle as it stands to pick up the 15 points required for an automatic GBE when the youngster has yet to start a competitive game for club or country and has only played 145 minutes in a league that is not even listed in the top five bands.
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If Newcastle agree a deal with Central Coast, the Magpies could therefore decide to loan Kuol out to allow the 18-year-old to get the required game time he needs in a better ranked league in Europe while also giving the youngster the chance to adjust to life on a new continent. Another potential option, according to the Premier League, would be to request that an exceptions panel at least consider the application if Newcastle can provide evidence that Kuol, as a youth player born on or after January 1, 2001, shows 'significant potential and is of sufficient quality to enhance the development of the game in England'.
There is no doubting Kuol's promise in that regard as the teenager prepares for the start of the new A-League season next week. Although Kuol has yet to start a competitive game for Central Coast, the rapid forward has scored four goals in nine substitute appearances for his side. Kuol's pace also unnerved New Zealand on his international debut at the weekend and the substitute even helped Australia win a penalty as he made a late push for the World Cup squad.
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, who previously managed Australia, is among those well-respected figures in the game excited by Kuol.
"It's great to see," Postecoglou told KeepUp last week. "We love young talent. We always get excited by it and he looks like he's got something about him, which is great.
"He's in the national team now and that's another great platform for him. A lot of somebody's football career is about timing and he might be timing his run perfectly going to a World Cup at such a young age and hopefully making an impact and changing his life."
Newcastle's interest in Kuol should, therefore, not come as a surprise. Having spent more than £210m to date on senior players, Newcastle's owners also want to build a sustainable club and improve the quality of youngsters coming through and youth development is a big passion of sporting director Dan Ashworth.
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