Cats could be hit with a salary cap, says report

Championship clubs have proposed a new set of financial guidelines – and they could affect Sunderland in the coming years.

With Financial Fair Play coming under increasing scrutiny in the second tier, senior executives from all clubs met to discuss the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability rules on Thursday.

And the Telegraph claim that a number of Championship sides have proposed a new salary cap of £20million per season, limiting how much clubs could spend on wages in a given campaign.

They also suggested that a limit be placed on how many players could be registered to a club at any one time.

Currently, clubs are subject to rules governing how much they can lose in any given season – with Birmingham City among the clubs to have been investigated over their large losses in recent years.

But some clubs are now suggesting a unified salary cap to help encourage sustainability, a topic which has taken on greater relevance since the demise of Bury.

However, all 24 clubs failed to reach an agreement on the proposals put forward this week – with the Telegraph report suggesting that a number of sides were keen to see the salary limited placed at a higher amount.

A salary cap, however, looks likely as clubs explore new options.

There are further talks planned between Championship sides for next month, and any changes implemented will naturally affect Sunderland should they gain promotion to the second tier this season.

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, meanwhile, has revealed why he snubbed a move to Sunderland in 2013.

Sunderland agreed a £5million deal with Le Havre for the full-back, who instead joined Marseille.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, he said: “One day, I went to the Stade Velodrome. I saw the feelings, the vibes, the atmosphere and said ‘This is where I want to play’. I signed a year later.

“It’s true that I met Sunderland and we had talks, but I really wanted to do something good in France before I travelled abroad. I didn’t want to leave French football like that, through the small door. I wanted to do something big.”