Premier League bottom six ‘will agree to play at neutral stadiums – but only if relegation is SCRAPPED’

THE Premier League’s bottom six will agree to playing at neutral stadiums… but only if relegation is scrapped.

That’s the latest claim as those in charge desperately try to find a way to get the season going again.

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Chiefs have drawn up plans for ‘Project Restart’ that includes playing the remaining 92 matches behind closed doors inside neutral grounds.

But their proposal to restart the campaign on June 12 have been met with fury from those embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Brighton, Watford, West Ham, Bournemouth, Norwich and Aston Villa are the clubs in question – with the latter three slumped in the bottom three.

They believe playing at neutral stadiums will prove a huge disadvantage in their quest for survival.

It is understood that 14 out of 20 clubs must agree on a decision before it is officially put into place – with a vote scheduled for Monday.

According to the Mirror, the bottom six clubs will only agree to the plans if relegation is void – a scenario which would cause further headaches for league chiefs.

The possible venues are expected to be discussed in Monday’s meeting, while other options for restarting the season have even involved the possibility of playing games overseas.

It also comes on the back of news that a third Brighton player has been tested positive for coronavirus.

The club’s CEO Paul Barber has issued a fresh warning over hopes of a restart and insists one misstep could “ruin lives”.

Barber told Sky Sports News: “Despite all of the measures that we’ve been taking over the past few weeks, where the players haven’t been involved in any significant training at all, we’ve still suffered another player testing positive for the virus.”

SunSport also revealed how one top-flight boss has discovered five of his first-teamers do not want to be involved.