Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has become the first English top flight boss to take voluntary pay cut and work on reduced wages as premier league sides get strangled in financial crisis. 

Howe, who earns £3m a year, and his assistant, Jason Tindall, are among four of the club’s highest earners to volunteer a decrease in wages with immediate effect with the technical director Richard Hughes, and chief executive Neill Blake, also taking significant cuts in pay for the foreseeable future. 

A variety of approaches have been taken so far including Leeds players agreeing a wage deferral Birmingham players being asked to accept a 50% cut in pay and Forest Green putting their squad on furlough. The first-team squads of several top European clubs including Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus have agreed wage cuts. 

Bournemouth have joined Norwich, Newcastle and Tottenham in furloughing employees some of whom are club shop catering and hospitality staff. Bournemouth said the move would “safeguard the financial stability of the club during what is such an uncertain period not only in football but for businesses in all industries across the world.