A clearer picture of the potential financial impact of the coronavirus crisis on some of Europe’s top clubs has begun to develop over the last 24 hours.
Football hit hard
The COVID-19 (more commonly referred to as the coronavirus) outbreak has of course been headline news worldwide for over a month now.
As of this afternoon, almost 3.5 million people have tested positive for the virus across the globe.
The death toll, meanwhile, currently sits at over 240,000.
The scale of the outbreak has inevitably also had major ramifications on the sporting world, with football having been hit particularly hard.
In Europe, all of the top-5 leagues, along with the Champions League and Europa League, have been postponed for the time being.
International football has also taken a major hit, with both Euro 2020 and the Copa America, which had been scheduled to take place this summer, having been pushed back until next year.
Euro 2020 ❌
Copa America ❌
Tokyo Olympics ❌Another summer tournament is postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic pic.twitter.com/UTJF6W1sJ7
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 24, 2020
Liverpool & Juventus latest
Such measures, meanwhile, spell major trouble for the financial wellbeing of clubs across the globe.
Missing out on matchday revenue is likely to prove crippling even for sides at the very top of the game, with a loss of income from broadcast revenue also a possibility, if the season’s remaining fixtures are not played out.
As a result, the summer transfer window, whenever it eventually opens, looks set to be a subdued one, with big-money transfers simply not feasible for the vast majority of clubs.
And, as outlined above, an insight into just how badly a pair of Europe’s top clubs could be impacted on the transfer front has been forthcoming over the last 24 hours.
First, the Mirror published a report surrounding the plans of runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool.
It is claimed that the Merseysiders look set to abandon their pursuits of prime targets Timo Werner and Houssem Aouar this summer:
‘The Reds are meticulous planners in transfer decisions, working up to two years in advance when it comes to targets, but they will look to cut their spending as much as possible in light of dramatically reduced incomes.’
In fact, the Mirror go as far as to suggest that Liverpool are ‘virtually certain’ to do no spending whatsoever ahead of next season.
LEIPZIG, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 02: Timo Werner of RB Leipzig celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Red Bull Arena on November 02, 2019 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
And, if the latest word coming from Italian giants Juventus proves accurate, then the Bianconeri could be set for a similarly quiet summer.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Italia earlier today, Juve director Fabio Paratici was questioned on the club’s transfer plans moving forward.
Significantly, though, when drawn specifically on rumours that the Serie A champions, or any other club for that matter, could proceed into the 2020/21 campaign without any changes to their current squads, Paratici admitted that it stands as ‘a possibility’:
‘Some say we could play the 2020-21 season with the same squad? It’s a possibility.’
Quotes via Football-Italia
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