Finance expert reveals how Leeds, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Championship rivals could be affected in the transfer market

That’s according to leading football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley of Sheffield Hallam University, who says the EFL’s financial package will help Championship clubs cover match day costs in the short term.

It was decided at a board meeting this week that a £50million sum would be made available to the 72 EFL clubs to assist with their cash flow requirements and the impacts of Covid-19.

That figure will be split into immediate payments for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign and an interest free loan facility.

Championship clubs will receive £800,000 each up front and will be able to access up to £584,000 as an interest free loan.

But how much of a difference will that make for Boro and the other 23 clubs in the second tier?

“If you look at some of those figures and the is it enough question, I think for now yes,” Plumley told our sister title the Sunderland Echo.

“It’s different club to club but to give you a few examples, in the Championship there are a few clubs that would probably be earning around £100,000 roughly per matchday.

“If you look at those award payments of £800,000, that’s eight matches roughly speaking.

“I think that money will help in the short term and then it depends how long this goes on for really and whether that pot needs to be topped up.”

All football in England has been postponed until at least April 30 at the earliest, and the suspension is likely to have ramifications when it comes to players’ contracts and the transfer window – even for those at the top end of the EFL.

“All the clubs we are talking about are governed under the EFL and the EFL have come out and said here’s a pot of money for what you’re dealing with in the short term,” adds Plumley.

“When the Football League clubs met on Tuesday they said there was a £50million shortfall so that tends to stack up with where that figure has come from.

“I think what the EFL have done here is said okay we’re listening to you, here’s what we’re going to do, here’s what’s available.

“I think for some of the clubs who are thinking maybe that’s not enough, the only thing you can do at the minute is to strip your operations back as much as possible. We’ve seen clubs doing that, but you still have to pay staff within that at certain points.

“Even if the club shop is shut for example, you need to make sure that those staff still get paid.

“It’s trying to balance running on as minimal costs as possible for the foreseeable few weeks while also trying to maximise whatever you can out of the income.”

Plumley also points out we are approaching a time when many clubs were anticipating a substantial windfall ahead of the summer transfer market.

“I think the tricky thing here is we want the season to be finished and that’s absolutely paramount in terms of the finances as well,” he adds. “But this is also the time of year where clubs are trying to get their season ticket money in for next year.

“There will be a natural pause on that you would imagine which could have implications for transfer windows and whatever happens with out of contract players.

“What you tend to find is that clubs will use that money from the ticket sales, and a big chuck of that TV money is paid up front, to fund the transfer market.

“The clubs are in a bit of limbo at the minute because they are basically at a standstill and I think it’s how they try and interact with their fans as best they can.

“It might become more of a social enterprise movement for them for the next few weeks and then hopefully when we are back up and running you can start to cash in on that relationship you have with the fans.”

Further down the EFL pyramid there are genuine fears that some clubs may find it hard to survive financially.

Darragh MacAnthony, chairman of League One club Peterborough, claimed as many as 30 per cent of clubs could face administration if they don’t receive more financial support.

Plumley believes MacAnthony’s calculations won’t be too far from reality.

“I don’t know whether the percentages are correct in terms of 30 per cent of clubs, but there will definitely be some who are certainly on the brink financially,” added Plumley.

“If you look at where we’re at now, it will naturally affect clubs lower down the leagues a lot more because most of their income comes from the fans and match day income.

“So as long as that is paused, you have a pause in the lifeblood of the club’s income. I’m sure chairmen will be looking at this and thinking what happens next?

“That £50million, it’s great that the EFL have done that, it’s a great gesture but is that enough the longer we go? I don’t know.

“Is there any more available the longer we go? Again I don’t know because it appears that’s the TV money being paid out and then you can top that up with interest free loans but we don’t know if there is anything else in reserve here that the EFL have got.

“They will monitor the situation obviously but that could be trickier as we move through the weeks.”