Super agent Jonathan Barnett is not predicting 'as many transfers' this summer because of the pandemic - which partly explains why Newcastle United have been keen to tie down experienced players.
Coronavirus has certainly left its mark on the Magpies; the club's training ground was temporarily closed in November after an outbreak ripped through the first-team bubble and supporters have been locked out of St James' Park for more than a year now as games continue to be played behind closed doors.
Given the lack of match day revenue, it is hardly a surprise that clubs have not been quite so active in the transfer market during the pandemic.
It perhaps also explains why Newcastle have another reason to keep hold of players entering the final months of their contracts given the potential cost of replacing them.
The Magpies moved to tie down Ciaran Clark (31), who is represented by Barnett's ICM/Stellar agency, until 2023; and Dwight Gayle (30) has reportedly signed a new three-year deal on reduced terms despite making just two starts this season.
In contrast, Newcastle previously decided against signing Salomon Rondon (29) on a permanent basis in 2019 while Mo Diame (31) left the club that same summer because there was only a one-year deal on the table.
There has been a noticeable shift in policy in the last year or so as Steve Bruce continues to rely on those players who helped the Magpies win the Championship in 2017. Indeed, even before the pandemic wreaked havoc, Jonjo Shelvey (28) and Matt Ritchie (30) were handed new three-year deals.
Newcastle opted to give Andy Carroll (31) a new one-year deal last summer and the club also activated the 12-month extension in Federico Fernandez's (31) contract.
Just as Newcastle have kept hold of a number of players who were approaching the end of their contacts, the black-and-whites have also been keeping an eye on potential Bosmans, too.
As well as spending £33.5m on Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis last summer, the Magpies signed Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick and Mark Gillespie on free transfers.
So what can we expect from clubs this summer? Barnett, who personally represents Gareth Bale, does not expect certain clubs to be as busy as they have in previous years.
“It is going to be harder," he told the Athletic.
"I’m expecting three or four very big deals of my own that will break a lot of records. Hopefully, they’ll come about.
"For the smaller clubs, I think there won’t be as many transfers."
