Premier League clubs warned fans might not return for a year

The Premier League’s resumption, plus Mauricio Pochettino, Caglar Soyuncu and Juventus’ transfer plans.

No fans for a year? 

The Guardian are among the papers reporting that the Premier League could resume without supporters for a whole year. With players set to resume training on Tuesday, the prospects of a June restart are looking positive for English football’s top tier, but the prospect of fans returning to stadiums this year appears unlikely amid the coronavirus pandemic. The league’s medical adviser Mark Gillett said:

I’ve sat on the DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] group with a very high level of medical input from Public Health England and the chief medical officer’s department. They’ve made it very clear that the social situation, the public health situation is not going to change over the next six to 12 months. It is important that people understand that.

***: It’s no surprise really, especially as giving a specific date would also be giving false hope. It does no harm to put into people’s minds that it could be a year either, as any return sooner would be celebrated. Perhaps there will be a staggered return, but the prospect of tens of thousands flocking to games this year? No chance, surely.

Who wants Poch?

Mauricio Pochettino is now free to sign for prospective clubs, the Telegraph reports. Tbe Premier League was originally scheduled to finish on May 17, and a day after, Pochettino’s gardening leave at Tottenham ended. He was sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho last year, and now clubs will no longer have to pay compensation to Spurs, the Argentine’s availability could see AC Milan, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Bayern Munich step up their interest in the manager. 

Soyuncu a wanted man 

Leicester are hopeful Caglar Soyuncu will sign a new deal amid interest from Liverpool and Barcelona, the Daily Mail reports. The central defender has impressed this season with the Foxes set to clinch a Champions League spot, but now a move to Barcelona has been mooted, while Mustafa Dogru – the man who negotiated Soyuncu's move from Freiburg to Leicester – claims Liverpool are the only other Premier Leauge club the player could move to. 

Four on the Juve chopping board 

Juventus could look to sell Miralem Pjanic, Douglas Costa, Gonzalo Higuain and Sami Khedira this summer, the Daily Mail reports. With the club aiming to make cut-backs amid the coronavirus pandemic, Juve’s chief football officer Fabio Paratici is considering ways to cut costs, including a salary cap of €6m (£5.3m) for any new arrivals.