Football agent Brian Howard fears for players as Portsmouth, Ipswich and Sunderland & Co brace themselves for salary caps

The former Pompey skipper, who co-owns Momentum Sports Management, fears wages will be driven down and escalating numbers of footballers out of work if Football League proposals are accepted.

In League One, a wage cap of £2.5m is being mooted, while squads are to be reduced to 22 for 2020-21.

Pompey chief executive Mark Catlin is fuming over the Football League blueprint which he believes will damage promotion ambition.

And Howard, the agent for Ben Close and former Pompey defender Christian Burgess, echoes disapproval for the plans.

He told The News: ‘I think a lot of people have wanted it for a long time, but, for me, a cap right now is the wrong time.

‘It’s not even here and already it is hugely impacting upon the transfer market and recruitment.

‘No-one has any funds spare, nobody knows when next season is going to start, you don’t know when you can actually have them in the building.

‘It has still not been confirmed what the salary cap is going to be. There are rough numbers, but no vote yet – there is so much uncertainty.

‘I spoke to a couple of clubs yesterday and they have asked what my player is looking for.

‘When I replied with X amount, they told me because of the salary cap and uncertainty it will be a no for now – but they really want to sign the player.

‘Everyone is getting offered reduced terms, everyone is trying to hold on.

‘It will drive down wages, squad sizes are going to reduce a hell of a lot and players will be out of contract and out of work.

‘Not only that, it will hugely drive down wages. What people probably don’t realise is footballers contribute 45-50 per cent in tax - and that will also be affected.

‘My advice to players is that if there’s a contract there, take work. Rather than try to negotiate an extra bit, take work.

‘In the short term, you need to get work, you need money in the bank, and you need to get going.’

The New Forest-based Howard made 26 appearances for Pompey in the 2012-13 season.

Since retiring, he has become a football agent, providing him with an insight into how football is currently coping with financial difficulties.

And he has every sympathy for League One’s bigger clubs, who will be shackled by a prospective £2.5m salary cap.

He added: ‘Before coronavirus, the Championship were talking of capping itself because clubs at that level were chasing the golden ticket to the Premier League and putting themselves into a lot of trouble and going to crazy extents.

‘I can understand why they would cap that - and it would be a very sensible cap.

‘But this is not the answer. It helps the smaller clubs in the long run rather than how it should be – if your team has extra money you can spend it.

‘Pompey, Sunderland and Ipswich create huge revenue and have big crowds, why can’t they be able to spend that?’

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