Covid clauses included in new contracts

PREMIER League and EFL clubs are reportedly trying to include Covid clauses into players contracts as the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

Sky Sports report that new legal guarantees are being included in loan deals which mean they can be cancelled and fees can at least in part be recouped should the season be interrupted by the pandemic.

Covid clauses have already been implemented by Grimsby Town this season, with new arrivals during the summer transfer window having them included in their contracts.

Mariners chairman Philip Day though revealed the club planned to do business without the clauses during the January transfer window, having missed out on a number of targets during the summer.

Many clubs are also said to be trying to include legal small print into new and existing players’ contracts that would lead to pay cuts should games continue behind closed doors beyond the current season.

Calls for a break in the season have been growing in some quarters as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the country, with an increase in the number of cases throughout the Football League.

A season-high 40 positive cases were recorded in the Premier League last week, while the EFL reported 112 positive tests as it begins twice-weekly testing this week.

A number of games have fallen victim to the pandemic in recent weeks, although it’s understood that a ‘circuit breaker’ is not being considered for the time being.