Aston Villa take Fifa to CAS after Brexit rule blocks £10m teenager Brian Madjo

Aston Villa have taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to register teenage forward Brian Madjo, after Fifa blocked the 17-year-old from playing since his £10.2m (€12m) arrival from French side Metz in January.

CAS confirmed the appeal hearing took place on Wednesday, though no date has been set for a ruling. Villa are under mounting pressure to secure a verdict before Uefa’s Champions League squad registration deadline on 2 September, with the Premier League’s own squad list deadline falling shortly after the transfer window closes on 1 September.

Fifa’s regulations place strict limits on international transfers involving players under the age of 18. The rules include an exemption permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to move freely “within the territory of the European Union” — a provision that is no longer accessible to British clubs following the UK’s exit from the EU. That post-Brexit restriction sits at the heart of Villa’s dispute with football’s world governing body.

Madjo, who was born in north London and turns 18 in January, last featured in a competitive match when he played for Metz in Ligue 1 in December. Despite representing Luxembourg at senior level in friendlies, he has since switched international allegiance to England at Under-17 level.

Villa’s push to unlock Madjo’s registration carries added urgency given the club’s return to the Champions League next season. Whether CAS delivers a ruling in time to allow him to be included in either the European or domestic squad lists remains to be seen.