Coronavirus: Watford close to agreeing player wage deferrals

The club are poised to become the third Premier League side to agree deferrals with their first-team squad

Watford are set to become the third Premier League club to agree wage deferrals with their first-team squad amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The club’s senior management and executives are also expected to agree to deferrals.

Nigel Pearson's squad are willing to forgo a portion of their wages on top of the contributions being made to the Players Together initiative, a scheme launched earlier this month by Premier League players to generate and distribute funds to the NHS.

Earlier this month, Southampton and West Ham confirmed their players would defer part of their salaries.

Arsenal’s players are reportedly poised to take a 12.5 per cent cut, with Chelsea’s players in the process of agreeing to a 10 per cent decrease in salary.

Last week, the English Football League and the Professional Footballers' Association recommended a 25 per cent wage deferral for April for League One and League Two players earning more than £2,500 a month, as they attempt to help clubs mitigate the cost of the coronavirus pandemic