Mark Catlin reveals Portsmouth recruitment already impacted by Football League salary cap proposal

That’s the warning from Mark Catlin as he seeks to fight against plans to bring in restrictions for the 2020-21 season.

Under proposals, League One clubs must operate with a wage ceiling of £2.5m – a significant drop from the Blues’ existing playing budget of around £4m.

Precise details continue to be thrashed out, although it is set to be backdated for June 20, while players aged under 21 are excluded from the cap.

And Catlin has revealed the potential changes are already restricting moves to strengthen Kenny Jackett’s squad.

He told The News: ‘They are trying to push it through for the 2020-21 season.

‘Whatever decisions we make with signings, apparently it’s going to be backdated for June 20. So we’re already now operating under a salary cap which hasn’t been voted upon.

‘We are now potentially under a salary cap regime, but haven’t been able to sign players before the deadline because we didn’t know what league we were going to be in.

‘There are players you would sign without a salary cap which you can’t sign with a salary cap because it sends you over.

‘Players already on the club’s books will be classed as being at the divisional average for the length of their contract. Which also applied to Championship clubs coming down with potential £20m budgets.

‘But if, during a season, you want to give one of your star players a pay rise and longer term deal, you’re going to be handcuffed because you cannot breach the salary cap.’

Pompey are hoping to re-sign out-of-contract pair Lee Brown and Brandon Haunstrup.

However, the proposed salary cap also influences the club’s ability to offer favourable terms.

Catlin added: ‘It has been a tough four months for all clubs, I feel like all I’m doing at the moment is constantly fighting.

‘There have been fights over whether the league should continue, huge fights over who should be in the play-offs and the formula used to calculate it – now huge fights coming up over the salary cup.

‘This is all at a time when we’ve lost members of the Pompey family.

‘I feel a little bit beat up, myself, but we have to dust ourselves down and move forward now as positively as we can.’

MORE: Mark Catlin: Pompey will fight ‘disgraceful' salary cap

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