PREMIER LEAGUE clubs are resisting calls to cut the pay of first-team stars because it could lead to them leaving on free transfers, reports have claimed.
The Daily Mail say that club chiefs fear they could be hit with legal action should they slice pay or defer wages amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It is alleged that doing so could put clubs in breach of contract and potentially trigger lawsuits from players claiming unpaid wages.
SunSport told you last week that Premier League players face a collective £100m pay cut.
Tottenham followed Newcastle’s example on Tuesday by announcing that all of the club’s 550 non-playing staff will take a 20 per cent pay-cut from this month.
Amazingly, it came on the day that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s own £7million earnings were revealed – including a £3m bonus for the completion of their new stadium.
That has intensified calls for loaded footballers to receive less money.
Some, like Man City boss Pep Guardiola, have donated huge sums of money – £920,000 in his case – to help fight coronavirus.
Premier League chiefs will talk with Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers’ Association bosses today about a collective wage deferral agreement.
That will prove tricky given the vast difference in size and financial resources between competing top-flight clubs.
The game’s biggest stars are said to be happy to take deferrals of pay. Lionel Messi has accepted a 70 per cent pay cut at Barcelona.
Premier League clubs will have no problem paying players this month – even top performers, like Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne on £350,000 a week.
But reportedly there are fears about what it will mean if the suspension of plays drags on for months.
That appears to be why clubs like Spurs, no matter how heartless it seems, have made savings from their non-playing budgets.
Should players be unwilling to take pay deferrals then it is thought this could lead to many seeking to leave their club for free, sparking a transfer frenzy.
Levy explained the impact of Covid-19 on football in a statement.
He said: “When I read or hear stories about player transfers this summer like nothing has happened, people need to wake up to the enormity of what is happening around us.
“We may be the eighth-largest club in the world by revenue, but all that historical data is totally irrelevant as this virus has no boundaries.
“The club’s operations have effectively ceased, some of our fans will have lost their jobs and most will be worried about their future.
“We hope the current discussions between the Premier League, PFA and LMA will result in players and coaches doing their bit for the football ecosystem.”
