Why £1m-a-season deal will be hard for Pollock and Hearn to find

Core Impact Points

• The Premier League's salary cap is currently £6.4m per club, with a new salary cap floor of £5.4m introduced for the 2026-27 season.
• To become an excluded player, Henry Pollock must have been a Northampton Saints player for at least two full salary cap years prior to the salary cap year in which he is nominated to be an excluded player.
• The salary cap regulations aim to prevent clubs from poaching players and manipulating the cap by averaging player salaries over a period of time.
• Northampton Saints may need to significantly reduce the salaries of Pollock's teammates to make space for a £1m deal, which could be unpopular and unsustainable.
• The Premier League's salary cap regulations have been in place since the Covid pandemic, when clubs agreed to bigger paydays with their players to avoid the reduced cap.
• The rules prevent clubs from back-loading player contracts and paying large sums in one year, only to reduce the salary in subsequent years.