Inter must consider non-EU rules for Stones, Spence and Jones
Quick summary
Inter Milan's pursuit of English players John Stones, Djed Spence, and Curtis Jones must account for Serie A's strict non-EU registration rules.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceInter already signed John Stones, have a deal worth €35m including add-ons for Djed Spence and are pushing for Curtis Jones, but can they sign three England internationals under Brexit restrictions?
The Italian League has a limit on the number of non-EU players that they can both have in the squad, and bring in during a single season.
Since Brexit, England is no longer in the EU, so in theory their players would be treated the same way as those coming from South America or Africa.
Inter packing squad with England internationals ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 15: Djed Spence #25 of England reacts after making a stop against Giuliano Simeone #17 of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) However, La Gazzetta dello Sport assure that Inter will have no issues registering three English players in the same session.
Until recently, it would’ve been a big problem, because the UK exited the EU in January 2021.
The FIGC created an exemption precisely for the British players from the summer of 2023, but it would only allow one new Brit per Serie A club.
After that, they would need to stick to the non-EU quota.
Stones has taken that ‘extra’ slot , leaving only two to be filled.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 2: Curtis Jones #17 of Liverpool dribble the ball during a friendly match against Leeds United at Soldier Field on August 2, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) The good news for Inter is that Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Spence and Liverpool midfielder Jones are allowed because they have not filled the other two non-EU slots yet.
Aleksandar Stankovic just returned from Club Brugge, but he was born in Milan and also has a Slovenian passport, so the Serbia international can be classified as an EU player.
There are also rules limiting non-EU players unless they were involved in at least two international matches in the last 12 months, so that is not an issue for Spence and Jones either.
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What happened
Inter Milan are reportedly interested in Manchester City's John Stones, Tottenham's Djed Spence, and Liverpool's Curtis Jones. However, with Italy's strict non-EU registration limits, the club must carefully manage its squad slots. Serie A clubs are restricted in how many non-EU players they can register, and each of these three English players would occupy a valuable spot. Inter will need to weigh up whether to pursue these targets, potentially offload current non-EU players, or focus on EU-passport alternatives instead.
Chance analysis
This transfer strategy analysis highlights a significant constraint on Inter's market activity. Serie A's non-EU registration cap means Inter cannot freely stockpile English talent without consequence. Any move for Stones, Spence, or Jones would likely require corresponding exits or sacrifice of other non-EU slots. For prediction systems, this signals Inter may pivot to EU-passport players or domestic Italian talent if their preferred English targets remain unfeasible.
Inter's transfer plans for Stones, Spence, and Jones face a significant regulatory obstacle, potentially redirecting their recruitment toward EU-passport or Italian players.
Inter's concrete interest in English players is real but constrained by Serie A's non-EU registration cap, which limits how many they can realistically sign without offloading existing non-EU squad members.