Finance expert gives verdict on what could happen with out-of-contract players amid potential Portsmouth crisis if season is extended

That's the verdict of football financial expert Kieran Maguire following the coronavirus outbreak which has caused the Premier League and EFL to be suspended.

The campaign has been put on hold until April 3 at the earliest, with hopes elite football will still be seen through to a conclusion this term.

With the European Championships now being pushed back 12 months to be played in 2021, it affords leagues the flexibility to run into the summer, with Uefa aiming to conclude the 2019-20 season for all European leagues by June 30 should the situtation improve.

But with many contracts expiring on June 30, it would render those players free agents from July 1, allowing them to leave and impacting on clubs in every division.

Ten members of Pompey’s first-team squad’s deals come to a close at the end of June.

They include fans’ favourite Christian Burgess, Lee Brown, Oli Hawkins and Brett Pitman.

Meanwhile, loanees Ross McCrorie (Rangers) Sean Raggett (Norwich), Steve Seddon (Birmingham) and Cameron McGeehan (Barnsley) all due to return to their parent clubs.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red podcast, Maguire believes clubs may approach the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to propose contracts should be prolonged until the campaign is concluded.

The University of Liverpool lecturer said: ‘It could be that there's an agreement between all of the football clubs and they might go to the PFA and FIFPro and say European football this year is going to be extended until August 31 or July 31.

‘Therefore, what we want to do is put through an edit that players' contracts are extended by one month or two months.

‘So, from the players' point of view, they'll still be earning money, which clearly is important to them.

‘Then there will be some form of new transfer window created which will then kick in depending on whatever the end of the domestic season programme is going to be.’

Maguire warned, however, that players whose loan spells aren't extended beyond the agreed date would have an impact on the season’s outcome.

Pompey sit fourth in the table and are two points outside the automatic promotion places.

However, if they lost their four loanees – who all started in the Blues’ 2-2 draw against Fleetwood before fixtures were postponed – they’d be at a significant disadvantage.

Maguire added: ‘What it could be is you extend the period of the loan for one of two months, but that’s if both parties are in agreement.

‘If they’re not, you could end up in a very messy situation at the end of the season where you might have some clubs who are in mid-table who are quite happy for players to return to their host clubs.

‘That will mean they’re be competitive advantages and disadvantages in the final few fixtures of the season.’