League needs to put transfer embargo on clubs looking to cut wages, asserts Gary Neville
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has questioned how the Premier League could allow a tidal wave of transfer activity with clubs taking measures to cut costs. It has seen the Premier League and the PFA, among others, meet over a potential wage cut although they’ve failed to reach an agreement.
However, while talks over a wage cut or deferral are still ongoing, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a few Premier League sides to take action. West Ham and Southampton have deferred their wages which will allow the club to pay their non-playing staff their full salaries. Furthermore, Tottenham, Norwich City, Newcastle United and a few others have all put their staff under furlough and it has also seen a few higher ups take pay cuts. But with no agreement over a collective wage cut or deferral, problems have ensued but it hasn’t stopped the rumour mill and the transfer market from running normally.
That hasn’t changed and reports indicate that it is part of the reason that an agreement over wage cuts is not done yet with both sides looking at solutions. It has seen football pundit and Manchester United legend Gary Neville admit that the Premier League needs to put a transfer embargo in place. The 12 time Premier League winner further added that clubs cannot be signing world class players for upwards of a £100 million if they’ve furloughed non-playing staff and are looking at wage cuts.
"These transfer discussions, whether it be Harry Kane to United for £200m or Jadon Sancho to City or United for £100m... it completely undermines the discussions the Premier League are having with the players around taking a 30 per cent pay cut. If you're asking for a 30 per cent pay cut across the board and you're going to spend another £1bm in two months on transfers,” Neville said, reported Sky Sports.
“The Premier League spent £1.4bn last summer on transfers and the previous three summers they also spent over £1bn... if you're trying to get 30 per cent pay cuts from existing players, you may have to put a transfer embargo in place. If I was the PFA, and Tottenham want a 30 per cent pay cut, or Manchester United on their players, which was what was said a couple of weeks ago, then it's very difficult for the existing players then see their club do a transfer for £200m three weeks later.
With clubs looking to improve their squads ahead of next season, the rumour mill has gone overboard with many suggesting that few top tier sides are set for a big spend. That is despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a financial crisis affecting football across Europe and even the world. However, it has also seen many admit that transfer values will reduce which will allow clubs to buy more players by spending less money. But Neville further added that while fans love getting new players, the league needs to take action especially on clubs that are looking to reduce wages.
"Transfers are things the fans love, and we love players moving around, but it does seem to me to be awry when we've got such a behind-the-scenes war going on with respect to players taking cuts, the clubs needing support, and then in the next breath you've got a £200m transfer speculation going on. That doesn't feel right to me. Premier League clubs can't stop the speculation, but there's no smoke without fire.
“I would suggest the Premier League to stop this would probably put a transfer embargo in place on all clubs that are looking to reduce their players' wages. That would take away a lot of the angst that is existing among the players behind the scenes who feel they're having the wool pulled over their eyes by the clubs,” he added.
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