Manchester United and Arsenal have been criticised by FIFA for exploiting loop-holes in immigration rules to secure top young African talent, according to a newspaper report.

The two Premiership giants bring foreign teenagers to clubs in Belgium where they play for two years to qualify for EU citizenship. Then they can be integrated into their first team squads. The procedure by-passes passport and work permit regulations but neither club is breaking any laws.

However, the News of the World says FIFA questions the morality of sending young players away for the benefit of individual clubs and wants the UK Government to investigate.

But a probe seems unlikely. A Home Office spokesman says the clubs are being very clever but doing nothing wrong.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has first option on several Ivory Coast players at Beveren, the club that nurtured the talents of Gunners' latest African star Kolo Toure. Kolo's younger brother Yaya, already signed to Arsenal, is among the best of the players currently at Beveren, with whom the London club has a partnership.

Similarly, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently signed two 18 year-old African prodigies, including Gambian sensation Henry Gomez, and immediately loaned them to United's 'feeder' club, Royal Antwerp.

Wenger believes clubs must explore every possibility to unearth new talent. Arsenal have scouts all around the world looking at matches, and Wenger says the Ivory Coast has been producing some of the best young players in recent years.

Despite FIFA's misgivings, the Home Office insists that Manchester United and Arsenal are using the existing rules fairly, and that other clubs have may simply not have caught on as quickly to the possibilities