Euro giants’ desperate move amid player wage spike

EUROPE’S biggest clubs are in secret talks about a wages pact — to prevent finances spiralling out of control.

According to The Sun, the European elite are worried players’ inflated pay demands risk threatening their long-term future.

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And the clubs are looking to work together to stop salaries sky- rocketing any further.

Prem clubs have been mulling over a “new reality” for some months.

Aaron Ramsey was stunned when Arsenal withdrew his contract offer – and he said yesterday he was in the dark as to why.

While Raheem Sterling has been told by Manchester City that he will not get the £100,000 per week rise he wants.

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Across Manchester, City’s rivals United are equally prepared to play hardball with goalkeeper David De Gea, accepting they will let him go rather than pay him the wages he wants as Jose Mourinho admitted yesterday.

Now behind the scenes talks involving some of the European giants could see an agreement not to “poach” players who are attempting to hold their current clubs to contract “ransom”.

One senior club executive told SunSport: “Some of the salary demands by players and their agents are simply unsustainable.

“It cannot go on. A line has to be drawn.

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“The people looking for a pay cheque need a reality check.”

Leading Premier League sides have demonstrated greater wage restraint in recent years despite huge growth in television incomes.

The proportion of wages to revenue dropped to a 20-year low and stood at just 55 per cent of income across the Premier League in 2017.

Maintaining that figure, though, will become increasingly difficult for even the biggest clubs if salary demands from top stars continue to sky-rocket.

And despite potential threats that any unofficial agreements could breach European law, the secret talks could bring a continent-wide realignment.

The senior figure added: “Players and their agents will always agitate and they may want to move.

“But if there is some voluntary concept of self-regulation it means that the players and their agents may go looking for someone ready to meet their demands – and find they are simply not there.”