The agent of Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld has warned clubs that asking players to take wage cuts during the Covid-19 pandemic would be in breach of contract and risk losing those players on a free transfer.
Trust footballing agents to smell an opportunity to make money, which is exactly what Stijn Francis is doing in his Thursday piece in The Guardian.
Footballers have been unfairly targetted by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to play their part in the Coronavirus crisis, and Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson has answered by forming the Players Together campaign.
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But if players are asked to sacrifice part of their salaries by their employers, rather than volunteer them, then clubs open themselves up to players having the right to terminate their contracts, according to Francis.
Francis wrote in The Guardian: “A “regular” worker is able to leave his or her employer in exchange for limited compensation or a notice period. Also, the employer can terminate the relationship with the worker at any time by respecting a period of notice or paying compensation.
“If clubs sign a player they take a risk by paying a transfer or signing-on fee and by paying substantial wages. In exchange for this risk, players cannot leave the club before the end of the contract except when all involved parties agree otherwise. Players also know that during the contractual term they can be sure the club will pay their salary.
“Clubs now asking to reduce player salaries undermine this principle of contractual stability. If clubs insist on a wage reduction, players should be put in the same situation as any regular worker. Clubs reducing their players’ wages should accept that the players can terminate their employment for free and these clubs should no longer be able to ask a transfer fee if the player would like to leave.”
Southampton has become the first Premier League club to agree on a wage deferral scheme with their players, as talkSPORT reports.
I don’t argue with Francis’ logic, only his intentions. He is not protecting his clients but sniffing a few massive paydays for delivering them on a free.
He will try to cap it at inline with minimum wage to save a pay rise for him
Only problem is the players on big contacts are not going to want to move because wages are going to fall in line with any fall in club’s income. I think a lot of players are going to be happy to stay where they are on what are going to look like bloated contracts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel Levy doesn’t lead the charge for an American style wage cap. He spends time in the States and knows NFL owners and how they operate.