The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown an unprecedented challenge at the Premier League.With the season suspended indefinitely, clubs are facing a period of drastically reduced income while the cost of paying their enormous wage bills remain.The UK government has agreed to cover up to 80 per cent of employee wages for businesses struggling to pay their staff, prompting four top-flight sides to apply.Liverpool announced they would join Newcastle United, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich City in furloughing non-playing staff, but opted to reverse the decision following severe backlash from throughout the football world.Manchester City have confirmed that their workers will continue to receive full pay without requesting support, and Manchester United are set to follow suit according to reports in the Daily Mail.With many other Premier League clubs also backed by extremely wealthy owners, fans are asking why some insist they can’t afford to dip into their own pockets to combat the crisis.Well, in order to deter clubs from taking advantage of the financial assistance on offer, talkSPORT presenter Georgie Bingham says those who do so should receive a transfer ban.“Let's not mince our words on this: if a club goes to the government for a handout that us, the taxpayers, will be required to make up in the long run, no club should be allowed to do transfers going forward,” she said on talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast.“If they are so poor that they can't afford one million pounds on their wage bill to support their low paid workers - which they should do - they shouldn't be allowed to have transfers.“No transfer window for you; sorry, if you are that poor you don't need one.“Not a single football club in the country would go furlough if it meant they couldn't do business if and when football resumes.”

Pointing the finger at players and their eye-watering wages has been a common theme amid discussions on how to protect the future of Premier League clubs and their staff.

But rather than pressuring footballers to take the hit, Bingham is calling on owners to play a bigger part in the solution.

“Football looks bad because of that, and football also looks bad for what I feel is the bullying of players to rescue football when football is a billionaire industry owned by people who would blink at a footballer's wages and are doing nothing.”

Whatever the eventual outcome might be, there’s a clear desire among players to contribute to fighting the pandemic.

Several have donated to charities or are simply doing what they can to continue bringing joy to fans around the world.