EFL pressing forward with salary cap plans for League One and League Two

The Football League are pushing ahead with plans for a salary cap for the lower divisions despite opposition from the PFA, with a formal vote to take place next month.

Under proposals sent to clubs on Thursday seen by Sportsmail the League Two salary cap would be set at £1.5million from next season, with a wage limit of £2.5m in League One, although salaries paid to players under 21 would be exempt from the restrictions.

The League Two salary cap was originally set at £1.25m, but after failing to gain majority support in a consultation of bottom division clubs it has been raised to £1.5m.

The Football League are pushing ahead with plans for a salary cap for the lower divisions

The EFL, led by chairman Rick Parry (pictured), wants to introduce limits of £1.5m in League Two and £2.5m in League One

In another significant change to be introduced from the start of the 2021/22 season squad sizes will be capped at 20 in both divisions, meaning that the average salaries in the lower tiers will be £75,000 and £125,000 in League Two and League One respectively.

The EFL Board are confident the cap will be introduced despite vocal complaints from PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who wrote to all the union’s members this week outlining his opposition on the grounds that wage limits would deter investment in the sport and punished well-run clubs who are not over-spending.

The EFL’s proposed updated rules and regulations will be sent to the clubs at the start of next month ahead of a formal vote on 29 July.

Championship clubs are also considering introducing a salary cap, but have yet to agree the details after talks reached an impasse around a proposed limit of £18m.

All the salary caps will include fees paid to agents and any club guilty of breaching them will be hit by a points deduction.

Another major change to be introduced from 2021/22 means squad sizes will be capped at 20