Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta is leading negotiations on behalf of his team-mates, with Blues hierarchy unlikely to get the 30% cut they desired
Chelsea have entered talks with their players over pay cuts, with the team’s playing squad hoping to negotiate a wage reduction of 10 per cent.
Blues director Marina Granovskaia is leading the talks on the club side, with Chelsea players negotiating through captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Premier League has suggested players across the top-flight take a wage cut of 30%, an idea that was not popular among players who preferred to have their money go directly to causes that would aid in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, a group of Premier League players announced the Players Together campaign, which will donate funds to National Health Service charities in an effort to fight the Covid-19 outbreak.
That has left each individual club to negotiate wage cuts or deferrals with their own squad, with Chelsea’s players open to the idea of a deferral that will save their side money amid the ongoing crisis.
Though Chelsea hierarchy were looking to see their squad take a 30% pay reduction, they now accept that figure may end up being less.
On Thursday the club announced that they will help their casual working staff by paying them in full for fixtures that have been postponed.
The Blues have also been proactive in other ways as they look to pitch in during the crisis, providing 78,000 meals to the NHS and charities that support the elderly and vulnerable groups as well as making the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge available to the NHS.
Chelsea’s negotiations are taking place as cross-town rivals Arsenal also negotiate a wage cut with their players, with Goal reporting that a deal is drawing closer.
Gunners players had initially rejected a proposal which would have seen them take a 12-month pay cut of 12.5%.
The Premier League remains on hiatus, with matches last played in mid-March and fears growing that the 2019-20 season will not be able to be completed.
Premier League clubs and league authorities met on Friday, though, and reiterated their desire to finish the season.
“It remains our objective to complete the 2019/20 season but at this stage all dates are tentative while the impact of Covid-19 develops,” an FA spokesman said.
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