Dundee United have asked the club’s players and coaching staff to accept a 20-per-cent pay cut until the end of the season.
The Tangerines today held discussions with Micky Mellon and his squad about salary reductions, as United chiefs laid bare the bleak financial reality facing the Premiership side.
It’s understood no agreement has been reached.
The Championship title winners, hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis and the ban on fans from stadiums, could also be forced to consider selling star players in a bid to balance the books.
Earlier this month, sporting director Tony Asghar said he was unsure what the January transfer window would look like for United.
He said: “There are still dark times ahead with the way things are going with the Scottish Government.
“We’re not getting fans in the ground anytime soon. We’re trying to lobby as a governing body and as a club ourselves. It’s a huge financial hole in our budget.
“Mark (Ogren, the owner) said when he first came in that we want to be successful and sustainable.
“All businesses have been hit hard and we’re no different. We don’t have an unlimited amount of revenue coming in to spend on players…
“I want fans to understand that we all want to win games but he have to be prudent and strategic in the transfer window.
“We have to bring in players who will improve the team and be assets. We’ve been taking long-term decisions and Covid certainly hasn’t helped that.
“Our budget has been continually fluid.
“There are so many things we need to consider and so many changes. It’s a moving target. Every month we have to sit down as a board and discuss how the finances are looking.
“All businesses have been hit hard and we’re no different. We don’t have an unlimited amount of revenue coming into the club to spend on players or other things. Hopefully the fans understand that.
“The Scottish Government said fans would possibly be in by September/October. That has now changed and we can’t keep spending in the hope that will happen.
“Mark, the board and myself will have to keep making decisions.”