New laws brought in as a result of Brexit could affect Sunderland's forays into the European transfer market this summer.
This summer's transfer window will be slightly different to years gone by, if Sunderland are to sign players from outside of the UK.
Lee Johnson is no stranger to splashing the cash abroad in search of hidden gems.
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The former Bristol City boss caught the eye when he signed Hordur Magnusson from Juventus for the Robins back in 2016, with the Icelandic defender being a huge success and was subsequently sold to CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed fee.
Given Sunderland's new 'data-led' approach to recruitment, we could see the Black Cats cast their net wide this summer.
However, recent rules brought in as a result of Brexit means European citizens will need a visa to work in the country.
The FA, Premier League and EFL have had lengthy discussions to agree the criteria determining who will qualify for a visa, which were finally agreed at the beginning of December.
The new rules have two immediate consequences, the first being that players hoping to move from the EU to England will now be treated the same as players from the rest of the world.
The second, is that EU players will have no problem getting into the country as long as their CVs are impressive.
To put it simply, players will be judged on where they have played previously, for how long and at what kind of level. If players have accumulated 15 points under a new rating system then they'll have no trouble in signing for a club in the Premier League.
A player who is over the age of 21, from a country ranked within Fifa’s top 50 and has played 70% of their country’s matches over the previous two years, will automatically get a GBE (governing body endorsement).
If you play for a club in a band 1 league (Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1) then an appearance on the bench for one of those clubs equates to 12 points.
The different bands hold specific weights and it gets more difficult the further down the bands you go.
The points you can accumulate also vary on the percentage of game you play within those bands.
It's very unlikely that Sunderland will be able to sign a player from Europe outside of the top divisions, with the new criteria in place.
Take Arbenit Xhemajli as an example, the Black Cats would have struggled to sign the centre-back despite his international appearances for Kosovo as they fall outside of Fifa's top 50. He would have struggled to get the amount of points required as he came from a Band six league.
Furthermore, Teemu Pukki would not have been able to sign for Norwich under the new rules, as Finland fall outside of FIFA's top 50 nations and Brondby compete in the Danish League - a band five competition.
We've seen just how effective ventures into the lower echelons of European football can be this season. Take Lewis Montsma from Lincoln City, who they signed from Dutch second tier side FC Dordrecht.
He would have been unable to sign for the Imps under the new rules.
It's all very complicated, right?
Nonetheless, it's not something Sunderland are unaware of.
The Black Cats head coach has emphasised being clever in the transfer market and the club's new approach to promoting youth players is also a sign that they've thought things through.
The recent January transfer window is an early sign of what we may expect from Sunderland this summer.
It's worth adding that any European players that are already in the UK should have no, or very little trouble applying for a visa to extend their stay.
