Phil Parkinson offers his verdict on the salary cap proposals which could affect Sunderland's transfer plans

The EFL look set to implement new financial controls in the third tier, with reports suggesting a fixed £2.5million per season salary cap could be introduced as early as next season.

These new financial controls were one of a number of issues discussed at the EFL AGM on Monday.

Should the plans be passed, it would naturally lead to a change in policy from clubs such as Sunderland – who are currently allowed to spend 60 per cent of their turnover on playing staff wages.

Given the club’s staggering gate figures when compared to League One averages, this naturally gives the Black Cats a substantial advantage under current rules. It would, however, mean savings would have to be made if the regulation changes are passed.

Clubs are likely to be given a year-long grace period before being penalised for any breaches of the new-look regulations.

Chief executive Jim Rodwell has already stated that while Sunderland will support the introduction of cost controls in the EFL, they would be against a uniform salary cap.

And Parkinson too is against any such plans – believing that clubs should be left to manage their own finances.

“There's been talk about the salary cap which is quite a complex debate going on at the moment,” he said, speaking to safc.com.

“I'm not keen on it at all.

“I think clubs should be left to manage their own resources and we're already regulated to a certain degree.”

“I think the wages are going to come down,” he continued, when quizzed on how these rule changes could affect the summer market.

“Where the market is going to fall at the moment is difficult to predict. Agents will try and drive the market value up, and chairmen and managers will want to get the best deal they can.

“That's a scenario that gets played out every summer - but this summer is slightly more complicated. In the next month or so, that picture will become clearer.”