Paul Barber has no plans to cut Brighton player wages just yet

Tough decisions will have to be taken as the financial impact of the suspended the Premier League begins to bite.

All games are postponed until at least April 30 but as the infection rate continues to increase an extension to the suspension is likely.

Players at some clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and Championship club Leeds United, have agreed to take temporary pay cuts.

Barber's priority is keeping everyone's job at Brighton but admitted they might have to "look at every option” - which could include a decrease in wages.

A huge percentage of all clubs’ outgoings are spent on player wages and Brighton are no different.

Albion's average first-team salary in 2019 was reported to be £1,805,304. Manchester City's was the highest at £6,987,500, with Sheffield United the lowest Premier League club on £728,000.

It's a serious problem for all football that impacts from the bottom to the very top of the pyramid.

The money football players earn has been crazy for quite sometime. It's nothing new and when the Premier League is in full swing it sustains itself largely through income from broadcasting, match day income, commercial, retail, hospitality and events.

With no sign of football returning for the foreseeable: all clubs, the Premier League, TV companies, advertisers, agents and lawyers will be studying the wording in their contracts very closely.

“There’s no doubt that contracts of every type will be looked and probably rewritten over the next two, three, four, five, ten years,” Barber said. "This eventuality has probably not been foreseen by even the best lawyers in the world, not in the shape and form we’re experiencing it at least.

“At the moment, because we’re focused on getting back to playing at some stage in the future and completing the season – and we’re still asking players to train and do all those things - we’re trying to hold where we can everyone’s jobs.

“We’re trying not to ask for wage reductions or look at wage reductions."

Football plays a huge role in people's lives but Barber was also quick to look at the big picture as the country tackles an unprecedented financial and healthcare challenge.

“With the news every day, it seems the virus is getting worse in our country and the number of people losing their lives from it seems to be going up.

“It is very hard for anyone to contemplate football at the moment. At the moment people’s health must come first."

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