EFL: Premier League cash injection details expected this month
Last updated on .From the section Football
The English Football League hopes to discover later this month how much the Premier League is willing to pay to help its clubs out of a looming financial crisis.
When he gave evidence to a Parliamentary Select committee on 5 May, EFL chairman Rick Parry said his 72 member clubs were staring at a "financial hole" of around £200m.
BBC Sport understands the EFL believes that is the kind of sum required to avoid devastating problems within the game that could put some clubs at risk.
The EFL thought the matter was going to be discussed by Premier League clubs last week but those talks were put back to the middle of September.
The Government told the Premier League that helping the wider game was one of the stipulations around Project Restart and EFL officials expect that message to be reinforced over the coming days.
It is likely in turn the Premier League will point out how important it is that fans are allowed back in stadiums at the beginning of October as planned, despite the new measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week.
It is not thought any EFL club is at risk of immediate financial problems because payments that were due to them later in the season have already been handed over, with further handouts to come in October.
However, all clubs are aware this is not 'new money' and in the long-term will not pay the additional bills created by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, while a longer period with no fans at games would be a disappointment for clubs, Parry's initial £200m assessment was made in the belief games would be played behind closed doors beyond October anyway, so the actual amount he asked for has not changed.
