Thomas 'concerned' by situation of out-of-contract players if season goes beyond June

Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas admits he's 'concerned' by the prospect of having to negotiate new deals for out-of-contract players while the season is still going on in June and July.

The postponement of all fixtures in England, caused by the coronavirus, was extended until April 30 by the EFL and Premier League on Thursday, raising the possibility that the season will not be concluded by the end of June.

That would cause a number of problems, not least the fact that hundreds of players across all four divisions will need to be handed new deals to continue playing for their current clubs.

The Cobblers have numerous players out of contract this summer, including first-team regulars David Cornell, Jordan Turnbull, Sam Hoskins, Alan McCormack and Vadaine Oliver.

"I would say there's been a lot of conversation and it's a conversation that the PFA would have to get involved in," said Thomas.

"It's a concern because you could potentially be in a position where you've got a player out of contract at the end of the season and you might need need them to play games right up to the end of June or maybe even July.

"They could be looking to sign for a new club or negotiating a new contract and then they could sign for that new club the day after playing a game for their current club.

"You have to look at those situations because they're not good situations to be in but unfortunately there's not much anyone can do about it at this point."

Thomas has called on the various footballing authorities to work together to find a solution.

He added: "It's something that needs to be discussed and everyone has to be willing to understand that you're going to be affected by this and that's where the PFA will have a big part to play in terms of player contracts.

"If you do play beyond June and games are in July, then technically players will be out of contract. Could you be in a position where you've got to renegotiate for a player to finish the season?

"It's not a great situation but it's something that football as a whole has to look at because we're all in it together and we've all got to try and solve it together."