Premier League, EFL and PFA to discuss wage deferral agreement: BBC

(Reuters) - Premier League and English Football League clubs are seeking agreement on a collective wage deferral plan at a meeting with the Professional Footballers' Association on Wednesday, the BBC has reported.

The report said the proposal is one option to help clubs safeguard their financial future during the coronavirus shutdown.

English football has been suspended until at least April 30 and league authorities have said they will resume action "only when it is safe and conditions allow".

Players at Championship leaders Leeds United have volunteered to take a wage deferral, while Birmingham City have asked some players to take a 50% pay cut over the next four months.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has called on Premier League players and managers to help English football deal with the crisis.

"We have seen some of the biggest clubs in the world such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus take steps to reduce their costs," said Levy, who revealed Spurs had imposed a 20% pay cut on 550 non-playing staff in April and May.

"We hope the discussions between the Premier League, PFA and LMA (League Managers Association) will result in players and coaches doing their bit for the football ecosystem."

Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, general secretary of FIFPRO, has praised the players who agreed to take pay cuts but warned that the example should not be used to pressure those at smaller clubs.

"We can only appeal to common sense that those measures taken by the elite clubs and players cannot just be transferred downwards," he added.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)