Newcastle United loanee Achraf Lazaar has been hit by a decision by Italian football authorities to cut wages in Serie B.
The Morocco international is currently on loan at Cosenza until the end of the season and after suffering injuries and making just eight appearances and scoring one goal, Lazaar's salary has now been affected too.
With Newcastle still paying a portion of his wages, only part of Lazaar's salary for the season is set to be affected.
It also remains to be seen how much wage packets are slashed in Serie B amid the coronavirus pandemic as talks between clubs and the authorities continue.
Serie B chiefs released a statement that read: "Initiatives have been taken to curb the serious consequences that this emergency will certainly entail preserving the survival of the football system to protect jobs , given the seriousness of the crisis which undermines the same survival of all companies related to the world of football."
Lazaar made his name in Italy in Serie A with Palermo before making the switch to England in 2016 to join then-Championship side Newcastle.
A succession of injuries and loan moves have followed but Lazaar recently told Chonicle Live that he had no regrets.
He said: "I’ve seen suggestions of Newcastle being a bad choice.
"I don’t know where it came from.
"It’s fake news."
Lazaar will be due back at Newcastle in pre-season for 2020/21 but due to the uncertain future of football nobody knows when that will be.
Meanwhile, a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport has suggested that Serie A clubs could return to training on May 4 in order to get the season finished in July.
