Foreign Ownership in the EPL: A Double-Edged Sword

Offhand, I can name eight foreign-owned teams in the Premiership: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Fulham, Portsmouth and West Ham.

Birmingham could soon join those ranks, giving foreigners controlling stakes in half the league's teams.

But is this a good thing or a bad thing for English football fans?

Other than Fulham, the foreign-owned clubs have generally been well-stewarded. Expanded budgets have allowed them to attract talent from all over the world—think of Ronaldo, Torres, Drogba, Elano, Benjani, Laursen, Essien, and Sven.

Last season's Champions League semifinals featured three English teams, which says a lot.

But the news isn't all good for fans—the influx of foreign stars hurts England's National Team. England's lack of depth in goal and at forward is a testament to the problem.

The crux of the issue is that foreign investors are more inclined to purchase stars than develop local players. Paul Robinson, David James, and Scott Carson are the only three notable English goalkeepers starting in the Premiership. At forward, only Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney are integral to their clubs' plans.

As attractive as the EPL is to global stars, clubs have no problems attracting international talent—provided their owners are willing to pay for it. The influx of foreign players is an inevitable consequence of regional and globalized economic structures—and the commercialization of football as a hugely profitable consumer commodity.

Unfortunately, the pursuit of profit in the Premiership has left England's international squad on the brink of a crisis. Only time will tell how things play out.