Premier League clubs will discover in February whether Fifa will bring in drastic new rules to cut down the amount of players they can send out on loan.
It has been reported today that the governing body have already ratified a move to restrict the number to between six and eight players from the start of the 2020-21 season. However, Standard Sport understands that is not the case and the move has only been recommended by an advisory board. The Fifa council have not set it in stone, although a measure will be introduced.
Top-flight clubs hope that the number of domestic loans and those involving Under-23 academy players will not be affected.
Chelsea and Manchester City have come under heavy criticism for the amount of players they loan out.
A Fifa spokesman told Standard Sport: "At its last meeting in Kigali, the FIFA Council endorsed the reform package of the transfer system recently agreed by the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee.
"This document lays out the fundamental principles of what will eventually become a set of concrete regulations to be drafted by the Task Force Transfer System in consultation with representatives from clubs (ECA), leagues (the World Leagues Forum), players (FIFPro) as well as member associations, confederations and the FIFA administration.
"The said package includes, among others, the development of the regulation of loans of players for the purpose of youth development as opposed to commercial exploitation. The number of loans per season and between each club shall be limited and bridge transfers and sub-loans shall be prohibited.
"The task force will provide an update of its work at the next Football Stakeholders Committee meeting in February 2019."
