BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZIMBABWE’S highest earning footballer Marvelous Nakamba is set to take a pay cut following reports that English Premier League club Aston Villa are in talks with their players over potential wage reductions to combat the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
The British newspaper Daily Telegraph reports “constructive talks” between the club and its players over reductions in pay during the pandemic crisis kicked off last week as they assess the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic.
A final decision is likely to be reached later this month.
It is understood that Villa’s leadership group, which consists of Jack Grealish, Tyrone Mings, Tom Heaton, club captain James Chester and Neil Taylor, have been at the forefront of the discussions with the club’s hierarchy headed by Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow.
Villa are owned by the NSWE group, a company owned by the Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and the American tycoon Wes Edens.
According to reports, the Birmingham-based club’s current wage bill stands at around £65 million and, after a £130 million outlay last summer, a £45 000-per-week wage cap was placed on players, with only Jack Grealish earning more than that amount.
The £45 000-per-week wage cap at Aston Villa means Nakamba earns less than his initially reported weekly wages of around £55 000.
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Villa signed Nakamba on a five-year-deal from Club Brugge of Belgium for a reported 12m euros fee on August 1 last year.
Nakamba had made 26 appearances in his debut season for Dean Smith’s side before the 2019-2020 Premier League season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nakamba’s Villa are reportedly in favour of the season ending as they attempt to avoid relegation back to the Championship.
Before the season was suspended, Villa were 19th on the table and played in the last top-flight match on March 9 when they were thrashed 4-0 at Leicester City, leaving them two points adrift of safety.
Villa also play six of their remaining 10 games at home and Smith, the head coach, is relishing the return of competitive football.
“When this season starts again it will almost feel like a second season in the Premier League for us, albeit for just the 10 games we have left, because there will have been such a gap,” he said this week.
“We have made mistakes and shown an awful lot of inconsistency in our first season back in the top flight.
“This has given us the opportunity to make sure we are ready for these last 10 games.”
