Aston Villa players defer 25% of salaries for four months

Aston Villa's loss at Leicester on 9 March was the last Premier League fixture before football was suspended

Aston Villa’s first-team players, coaches and senior management will defer 25% of their salaries for four months to ease the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Non-playing staff will be retained and paid in full during the lockdown and the Premier League club will not make use of the government furlough scheme.

“Our players and staff feel great solidarity with the many clubs in the football pyramid who have financial problems,” Aston Villa’s chief executive Christian Purslow said.

“We believe it is right and proper that the Premier League as a whole takes action on its finances collectively to enable it to be able to continue to provide vital funding throughout the game in England.”

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Elsewhere in the Premier League, Chelsea players will continue to receive the same pay and Arsenal’s first team have agreed to a 12.5% pay cut.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Bournemouth reversed their decisions to furlough staff, while Newcastle United were the first club to place their non-playing staff on temporary leave and Norwich have also put staff on the job retention scheme.