EFL defy PFA to push through salary cap

THE Football League are pushing ahead with plans for a salary cap for the lower divisions despite opposition from the PFA, with a formal vote to take place next month. Under proposals sent to clubs yesterday and seen by

Sportsmail, the League Two salary cap would be set at £1.5million per club from next season, with a wage limit of £2.5m in League One — although salaries paid to players under 21 would be exempt from the restrictions. The League Two salary cap was originally set at £1.25m, but after failing to gain majority support in a consultation of clubs it has been raised to £1.5m. In another change, squad sizes will be capped at 20 players aged 21 or over in both divisions, meaning that the average salaries for those players in the lower tiers will be £75,000 and £125,000 in League Two and League One respectively. The EFL Board are confident the cap will be introduced despite complaints from PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who wrote to all the union’s members this week outlining his opposition on the grounds that wage limits would deter investment in the sport and punish well-run clubs who are not over-spending. The proposed regulations will be sent to the clubs at the start of next month ahead of a vote on July 29. Championship clubs are also considering a cap, but have yet to agree details after talks reached an impasse around a proposed limit of £18m. All the salary caps will include fees to agents and any club found guilty of a breach will have points deducted.