AN emergency Fifa meeting has ruled that all players whose contracts expire this year must stay put until the season is completed – with 86 Premier League stars affected.
A host of top-flight players were supposed to see their current contracts expire on June 30.
But with coronavirus wreaking havoc on the schedule – and the season-ending deadline lifted – those stars must now stay put until the 2019-20 ends and not on their contracted date.
The same would appear to apply to players currently at their clubs on loan.
We’ve taken a look at which players – and which clubs – are affected by the new ruling.
ARSENAL
Number of players: 3
THE Gunners have two loan players on their books at present – Pablo Mari and Dani Ceballos.
Mari as an option in his deal to make the move permanent, while Ceballos does not – although the latter could be used as a makeweight in a deal that would see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang head to Real Madrid.
Matt Macey is the only other player affected by the new ruling.
ASTON VILLA
Number of players: 5
THE Villans have two players in on loan deals this season, in Danny Drinkwater and Pepe Reina.
Three other players – Borja Baston, Matija Sarkic and Keinan Davis – are out of contract this summer.
BOURNEMOUTH
Number of players: 7
A WHOLE host of Cherries stars – some big names at that – are set to be hit by the new ruling, including Ryan Fraser, Jordon Ibe and Artur Boruc.
Simon Francis, Andrew Surman, Charlie Daniels and Jack Simpson will also need to stay on beyond June 30.
BRIGHTON
Number of players: 2
JUST two Seagulls stars will be hit by the new ruling.
Ezequiel Schelotto and Beram Kayal were both expected to be gone by July 1.
BURNLEY
Number of players: 6
HALF a dozen Turf Moor stars had been expected to walk out by the summer, including former England internationals Joe Hart and Aaron Lennon.
Robbie Brady, Phil Bardsley, Adam Legzdins and Jeff Hendrick will also stick around longer than planned.
CHELSEA
Number of players: 5
PLENTY has been made about the big names set to see their contracts run out this summer, including Willian and Pedro.
But Willy Caballero, Olivier Giroud and forgotten man Marco van Ginkel will all be tethered to the club until the 2019-20 campaign is done and dusted.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Number of players: 2
JUST the two players hit here, with veteran defender Scott Dann the headliner.
Stephen Henderson will also be forced to stay indefinitely.
EVERTON
Number of players: 5
CLUB legend Leighton Baines will have to extend his long stay at the club a little longer in the new ruling.
Maarten Stekelenburg, Cuco Martina, Oumar Niasse and loanee Djibril Sidibe are also affected.
LEICESTER
Number of players: 4
FOUR players will be hit by the new ruling, including some of the 2015-16 Premier League-winning squad – including Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs.
Eldin Jakupovic and Nampalys Mendy were also set to have their contracts expire on June 30.
LIVERPOOL
Number of players: 3
TWO former Southampton players are now being held at Anfield – with Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne forced to wait in their bid to hunt some first-team action.
Emergency signing Andy Lonergan is the only other Reds star affected.
MAN CITY
Number of players: 3
AFTER a trophy-laden stint at the Etihad, David Silva won’t mind having his time at the club extended.
Elsewhere, loanee Scott Carson and back-up stopper Claudio Bravo are set to be hit by the ruling.
MAN UTD
Number of players: 2
AT one stage this number would have been much higher, but for a spate of new contracts dished out under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Only red-hot loan star Odion Ighalo and forgotten defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah are set to be affected by the decision.
NEWCASTLE
Number of players: 10
ONE of two clubs to hit double figures, Steve Bruce has something of a decision to make between now and the summer – with Matty Longstaff the biggest name.
Rob Elliot, Andy Carroll, Danny Rose, Jack Colback, Jetro Willems, Javier Manquillo, Valentino Lazaro, Nabil Bentaleb and Jamie Sterry are also affected.
NORWICH
Number of players: 1
JUST the sole player to worry about for the Canaries.
That man is midfield loanee Ondrej Duda.
SHEFF UTD
Number of players: 10
JOINING the Toon in having ten players affected by the new ruling, amongst those stars are Dean Henderson and Phil Jagielka.
Leon Clarke, Jack Rodwell, Ricky Holmes, Kieron Freeman, John Lundstram, Richairo Zivkovic, Panagiotis Retsos and Mo Besic are the other eight.
SOUTHAMPTON
Number of players: 3
OF the three players affected at St Mary’s, just one is a permanent player – Shane Long.
The other two are loanees: Kyle Walker-Peters and Kevin Danso.
TOTTENHAM
Number of players: 3
A MIXED bag for Spurs, the club will be happy to keep young prospect Japhet Tanganga as long as possible.
Michel Vorm and Jan Vertonghen – long tipped to sign a new deal – are the other two names.
WATFORD
Number of players: 4
WITH an average age of 36, the Hornets were set to lose four veterans on June 30 – with goalkeepers Ben Foster and Heurelho Gomes amongst them.
Adrian Mariappa and Jose Holebas are the other two.
WEST HAM
Number of players: 3
VETERAN duo Pablo Zabaleta and Carlos Sanchez will now be forced to stay into July – and possibly further.
Loanee Tomas Soucek is the other from the London Stadium.
WOLVES
Number of players: 5
THE Midlands club looked set to keep their core in tact for next season, with only fringe players like John Ruddy expected to leave.
The goalkeeper is joined by Bright Enobakhare, Phil Ofosu-Ayeh, Max Kilman and Enzo Loiodice in staying into the summer.
