PFA vows to oppose any ‘hard cap’ measure on Premier League wages

The Professional Footballers’ Association says it will oppose any measure which places a hard cap on player wages in the Premier League.

The PA news agency understands clubs voted on Monday to progress to the final stages of a legal and economic analysis of anchoring – which will potentially limit expenditure such as player wages, plus agents’ fees and transfer amortisation costs, to a multiple of the central Premier League revenues going to the bottom club.

The intention of anchoring is to keep the league competitive by preventing the richest clubs dominating.

The drafting of rules around the principle will now also take place, with a view to a further vote at the league’s annual general meeting in June.

Sources close to Manchester United had indicated prior to the meeting they would oppose it and it was reported Manchester City and Aston Villa also voted against, with Chelsea abstaining.

The legal analysis is likely to involve discussions with the PFA, and a spokesperson for the union said on Monday: “We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a ‘hard’ cap on player wages.

“There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, must be properly consulted on.”