Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett: EFL and Premier League deal could come this week

After the EFL turned down a £50million bailout for Leagues One and Two, the governing bodies have been in discussion over a support package that also includes the Championship.

Now, Pomlett has said after meetings this week that a deal could be done by Friday.

"The discussions between the EFL and the Premier League have continued and they have been progressive," he said.

"They have actually made some progress and I think I'll be in some fort of a position to say something more definitive by the end of this week.

"I won't pre-judge the final outcome but it is looking more encouraging than it did last week.

"We are in reasonable shape and if the deal, which I expect to be done this week with the Premier League, comes to fruition then we'll be in a much more comfortable position."

Meanwhile, Pomlett has also revealed the club will again be using the furlough scheme for some staff, while others have been made redundant.

He did not confirm the number of redundancies or the departments affected. However, it is confirmed that the number is below 20.

"The retail now will be online," he added.

"We have to cut costs in the business and will continue to do so until the world is back to some normality, so retailing will be online. Don't expect the shop to be open.

"We have a skeleton staff at the club and we will be taking advantage of the furlough scheme for the whole month of November.

"I have signed off redundancies at the club, it's a sign of the time. I don't expect to be signing any more off.

"We've had to cut the costs at the club to get us through this period. Not wholesale, but we've had to trim the cost base.

"Sadly I have had to do that."