COLLISION COURSE
PFA oppose EFL’s salary cap plans which will hit wages by up to 40%
EFL clubs are on a collision course with the PFA over plans to introduce salary caps next season, which the players’ union will vociferously oppose.
Clubs in all three divisions are set to vote on new regulations to limit spending on wages to around £18 million in the Championship, £2.5m in League One and £1.5m in League Two before the expected opening of the transfer window at the start of August.
Although transitional arrangements would be permitted to account for players already on long-term deals, the proposals would lead to huge cuts for new signings. This would trigger conflict with the PFA, who are committed to protecting the income of their members.
Players in League One and League Two would see their earnings slashed by between 30 and 40 per cent if the cap is introduced, reducing average wages to around £1,000 a week in the lowest tier.
The bottom two leagues will also be asked to vote on cutting squad sizes to 20 senior players (those aged over 21), of which at least eight have to be homegrown.
The majority of League One and Two clubs see enforcing wage restraint through regulation as the only way to safeguard their futures given the uncertainty over when fans will return to grounds.
The clubs have set up a salary cap committee to work through the fine detail of the proposals.
Following initial talks last month, a vote is expected to take place in July over a cap which would be introduced in time for the opening of the summer window.
There is more division on the issue in the Championship, which the PFA will seek to exploit to persuade sceptical clubs to block the proposals.
The PFA were largely successful in stopping Premier League clubs imposing pay cuts or deferrals on their players, with Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, West Ham, Sheffield United and Watford the only clubs to reach agreements with their squads.
A number of clubs, including Leeds, West Brom and Fulham, were excluded from the initial round of talks.
There are also concerns about how a salary cap could be imposed on clubs relegated from the Premier League, who fund large wage bills thanks to parachute payments of more than £40m a year.