Arsenal have put forward to their players that they will not have to take any pay cuts for financial losses the club may endure during the coronavirus pandemic if they manage to qualify for the Champions League - when the Premier League restarts.
The Telegraph‘s report adds that the club held talks with their players earlier this week to discuss pay cuts, however, it was not met with open arms.
For now, the proposal the club’s brass has made to the players stands clear: Avoid taking a financial hit by jumping from ninth to fourth by the season’s end, or climb to fifth during the same time period, should Manchester City place top five and have their ban upheld by the Court of Arbitration for sport.
It’s a tall ask for the north London side - who are currently eight points behind fourth-place Chelsea, with 10 games to play - to finish in a Champions League spot. The Gunners, who have been participating in Europa League - a competition they were knocked out of last month by Olympiacos - for the past three seasons, have not qualified for Europe’s elite competition since the 2016-17 season.
According to The Guardian, Arsenal are paying all player and staff wages as normal through April 30, although the situation will be revisited afterwards.
