With several stars’ futures up in the air, the latest claim from a Premier League club director will no doubt inspire sighs of relief across the divisions’ fanbases.
The likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah – all of whom may have attracted serious interest from the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid – are expected to remain with their current clubs due to the financial restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
“Spain has plenty of problems too, starting with Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are both in a mountain of debt,” Stuart James and others wrote for The Athletic. “There is a school of thought that their financial plight means that some of the biggest names in the Premier League – Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Paul Pogba – are essentially trapped.”
The English top division’s highly lucrative TV deal has undoubtedly softened the blow of the pandemic, though sides across Europe, who are far more reliant on fan attendance for income, have not been so fortunate.
“Normally it is the moment for the biggest transfer of their career but instead they have to re-sign,” the unnamed Premier League source told the publication.
While a blow to the plans of some of Europe’s top sides outside of the Premier League, it’s an advantage that English teams will no doubt be keen to capitalise on.
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It won’t necessarily mean plenty of major transfers for the Premier League’s heavy-hitters, but one might expect a few significant additions to be brought in as the pandemic forces clubs across the continent to make difficult financial decisions.
Unbelievable. Why is KdB listed? He just signed a four year contract extension, for heaven’s sake, and has stated clearly he LOVES it at City.