With the summer 2025 transfer window open, Premier League clubs are looking to refresh their squads. But in doing so they are also aware of the 25-man squad list that they will have to submit after the window closes on 1 September.
The squad lists must follow certain rules.
Each club’s squad must contain no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the "Home Grown Player" (HGP) criteria. The rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be "Home Grown".
What is a 'Home Grown Player'?
A "Home Grown Player" means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).
A club’s Under-21 players are not included on the 25-man squad lists. These players are also eligible to play in the Premier League.
What constitutes an Under-21 player?
For the 2025/26 Premier League season, Under-21 players will have been born on or after 1 January 2004.
To understand more what the squad lists look like, below are the ones submitted by clubs midway through last season, after the closure of the January 2025 transfer window.