Chelsea and Manchester City loan policy to be hit by proposed Fifa rule changes

A report on Friday claimed that clubs could be limited to between six and eight loans per season from 2020

Fifa are set to introduce a limit on the number of players who can be loaned out by a single club for the 2020-21 season with the final figure to be settled early next year, according to reports.

Some European clubs have used the loan system to keep a large number of talented young players on their books, giving them a chance to play first-team football elsewhere and often subsequently selling them on for a profit.

Chelsea's loan system has attracted particular attention; they currently have 40 players plying their trade at other clubs, a group considerably larger than their first-team squad, while Manchester City have 21 players out on loan.

Wolves have 27 players out on loan, with nine of those spending the season at feeder club FC Jumilla in the Spanish third tier.

The report in The Times said the restriction had already been ratified by soccer's global governing body and the limit was likely to be set at between six and eight players with a maximum of two deals per season between any two clubs.

Tammy Abraham is one of Chelsea's 40 loanees this season (Getty Images)

Fifa had said earlier this year that its stakeholders committee, featuring representatives from clubs, leagues, players and national associations, had backed proposals to reform the transfer system.

A Fifa task force report had said the existing setup “sometimes prevents young players from fully developing their talent,” adding that one unnamed club had loaned out 146 players between 2011 and 2017.

Following a meeting in London in September, the stakeholders committee had agreed that loans should be used for the purpose of youth development as opposed to “commercial exploitation”.

It also backed stronger regulations for agents, including limits on how much they could earn and on how many different parties they could represent in a given transaction.