Premiership clubs and agents at war over payments to players with stars stuck in a transfer deadlock

PREMIERSHIP stars are being denied the chance of landing dream moves after a cash row between their clubs and agents.

The simmering dispute over payments has ground the transfer market to a halt with lawyers now called in.

And players' representatives have told the 13 top-flight teams that they will not negotiate any new contracts until it is sorted.

The off-field mess started when clubs told agents that they would no longer be paying them their fees directly as had been the case in the past.

Instead, it would be down to players to set up direct debits to their agents for thousands of pounds each month over the course of their contracts.

There are now growing fears that the problem could force players to look for deals in France and Japan.

The end of this season also marks the first after the two-year Covid pay cuts.

Hundreds of players are out of contract this summer and they would be starting to think of their next move in the coming weeks and months.

Some transfers could even be announced as early as January.

And some agents fear that clubs are trying to force them out of the game altogether - despite advising their stars on matters both on and off the pitch.

Premiership Rugby declined to comment.