Coronavirus: Agent Beck dismisses talk of transfer market crash

Agent Mikkel Beck says there may be a lack of big transfer deals in the next window, but dismissed talk of player values plummeting.

Will Neymar (L) and Kylian Mbappe (R) remain at Paris Saint-Germain?

Mikkel Beck has dismissed talk that the best players in the world will be available in cut-price deals but suggested blockbuster transfers could be unlikely in the next transfer window.

The coronavirus pandemic has left clubs having to cut costs due to a lack of income, with seasons suspended and some – such as Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie ​– subsequently cancelled.

Players have been asked to take pay cuts, while staff at clubs in some countries have been furloughed amid uncertainty over when football will resume.

There have been claims that the transfer market could crash, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe's value set to plummet.

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Beck, the former Denmark striker and now agent, believes the cream of the crop will still command huge transfer fees, although he suspects even the big clubs may be more cautious in the short term.

He told Stats Perform : "I think we will still see the world's best players go for a lot of money, because they are so important for those clubs who have them and who would like to have them.

"Of course it's about demand and it's about what you know they can do for a new club or are doing for their current club.

"Those kind of players will always be very expensive, I think we will still see very high transfer fees – maybe not this summer, but coming back next summer.

"What might happen this summer is the very best players might have to stay at their current clubs, because the other clubs don't want to pay or cannot pay the prices they are asked to. But I don't think it means that the best players will suddenly go on the cheap."

Beck, who represents the likes of Lucas Digne and Simon Kjaer, would not be surprised if clubs leave it later to move into the market.

He added: "It's the same as always, we talk about the domino effect, it's up to one club to buy a player, then another club has money to go into the market.

"Maybe the market will start a bit later as clubs need to have a good idea about their finances before they do something, but I expect there will be a market. Maybe not as much as normal, but I'm sure things will still be happening."