Austrian born Ghanaian defender Kevin Danso and his Southampton teammates have decided to defer part of their salaries for the next three months.

Southampton’s squad agreed to go without 10% of their pay for the next three months to ensure non-playing staff receive their salaries in full.

Southampton became the first Premier League club to reach an agreement over reduced pay with their players, who came to the consensus that wage deferrals were the fairest solution after holding talks with the board about the financial disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The club said their manager, Ralph Hasenhüttl, senior coaching staff and board of directors would also defer some of their pay for the next three months.

It is understood Southampton’s chief executive, Martin Semmens, played a leading role in the talks, coordinating a plan between the players and the club’s owners, the Gao family and Katharina Liebherr.

Attempts to reach an agreement over potential 30% reductions across the league reached a dead end last weekend, forcing clubs to go it alone. The PFA has stood in the way of sweeping cuts, arguing they would cause a £200m tax deficit and hurt the NHS.

However, players are keen to contribute to society – it was announced on Wednesday that Premier League captains had launched a charitable fund, #PlayersTogether, to help people involved in tackling the pandemic – and they have also wanted clubs to make clear why wage drops are necessary.