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The long-term loans are those that allow a player to join a club for longer than the three months allowed on short-term deals. This enables clubs to make one year loan signings such as Vincent Pericard who has just joined Portsmouth from Juventus or Mikael Forssell who was with Palace throughout the 2000/01 season from Chelsea.
At the Football League's AGM on Saturday the 72 clubs voted in changes that will allow more loans which, they say, will help share the burden of escalating player costs and increase the scope for player development.
The changes are as follows:
- Clubs are still entitled to take eight players on short-term loan during the season, but the limit at any one time increases to FOUR.
- The figure for long-term loans during a season increases to FOUR.
- Clubs will now be allowed to take a maximum of FOUR players on loan (short-term or long-term) from one club.
- Clubs will be able to name a maximum of FIVE loan players (short-term or long-term) in the 16 players listed on a team sheet on match day.
The changes could mean half of the outfield players in a starting line up could all be loan players and there is no doubt that clubs are going to be making even more use of the system next season. Look out for loan expert Vialli to get going at Watford.
The most loan players the Clarets have ever used in a season was six in 1994/95 season. The six were John Gayle, Jamie Hoyland, Craig Armstrong, Andy Saville, Paul Stewart and Paul Shaw.
Gayle and Hoyland became permanent signings whilst most Clarets' fans would suggest that Stewart didn't actually PLAY during his month at Turf Moor.