Tuesday 14/04/2020 CEST(GMT/UTC +2)
Arsenal players reject wage cuts as coronavirus crisis stand-off continues
The Gunners have told their stars that the financial situation at the club will be grave should the season be cancelled or resumed behind closed doors
Arsenal's players have rejected the latest proposal aimed at slashing the club’s wage bill during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Executives and players have been attempting to secure some sort of agreement during talks over the past fortnight, which would allow the north London club to lessen their financial outlay while football is suspended in the country.
Several options have been discussed, but so far none has been met with enough approval to be put into action.
The idea of a 12.5 per cent wage cut - which would last for a year - was put to the senior squad over the weekend, with Arsenal making it clear to the players that the financial situation at the club would be grave should the season not be completed or if it were to be finished behind closed doors.
There were incentives included in the offer, including one which stated that the players would be paid in full should they secure Champions League football next season.
Had that offer been accepted, it would have seen Arsenal cut around £25 million ($31m/€28m) from its annual £230m ($286m/€262m) wage bill. It was met with scepticism by the players with the Gunners currently sitting ninth in the Premier League.
A vote on the offer was held among the squad on Monday and - as first reported by the Telegraph and since confirmed to Goal - it has been rejected.
For the proposal to have been given the go-ahead, it would have needed the support of 75% of the players, but it is understood that while some would agree to the cuts, the figure was nowhere near high enough for them to be accepted.
The decision comes after the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) advised players to reject all offers of wage cuts during the crisis, advising that only offers of deferrals should be taken into consideration.