Portsmouth FC is gearing up for the summer transfer window, with a focus on securing Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slots and recruiting overseas players. The club's recruitment team is expected to bring in new talent to strengthen the squad and compete higher up the Championship table. According to reports, Pompey are advanced in negotiations for their top targets, with a busy recruitment period anticipated. The Blues are keen to establish a playing squad that can compete higher up the Championship table, and the Fratton Park recruitment team will look abroad for players who they hope will help take them to the next level. This approach has seen Pompey sign players like Nicolas Schmid, Elias Sorenson, Kusini Yengi, and Hayden Matthews in recent years. Meanwhile, over the course of last season, five players were recruited from outside the UK to improve head coach John Mousinho's options, including Adrian Segecic, Gustavo Caballero, Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux, and Jojo Dia. The club feels that recruiting overseas players gives them more bang for their buck, although the £500,000 acquisition of Ebou Adams in January from Derby County may contest this view. However, strict rules are in place on the number of 'overseas' players EFL clubs can recruit. Thankfully, Pompey are well-versed on this subject, having successfully navigated their way through Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) rules and Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) work permit thresholds on numerous occasions in recent times. The example of Adil Aouchiche comes to mind! Speaking to The News last month, chief executive Andy Cullen admitted that Championship clubs are nervously waiting to see if these Home Office rules change over the summer. There's a serious risk of that happening, with the result seeing many clubs - including Pompey - potentially having to reassess their recruitment plans. But what are the current rules, and do Pompey have room to bring in more overseas players in the weeks ahead, having dipped their toe in that market twice as recently as January? We've taken a look in the hope we can provide some clarity on a complicated subject. Here's our understanding of the current ESC/GBE rules. ESC rules allow English clubs to sign overseas players who fail to meet the standard points threshold (15 points) for a GBE work permit. The system provides specific work permit slots for elite players, with Championship clubs permitted to sign four players on ESC visas. Two of these are guaranteed, and two are earned based on the percentage of minutes given to English Qualified Players (EQP). To qualify, a player must prove they are at an elite level and will make a significant contribution to their prospective club. This is typically met by having international youth caps, appearances in continental competitions, or significant domestic minutes in a high-tier league. An ESC-registered player can retain their slot for a period of 12 months, after which their club must apply for a standard GBE. The player will qualify automatically if they have played in at least 25-percent of their club's league matches and hit specific minute thresholds, or if they have accumulated enough points based on their recent playing time in England.