Premier League to spend £4million for 40,000 COVID-19 testing kits: Reports

A Premier League return in the month of June now appears to be the most likely outcome as latest reports indicated the clubs have agreed to play the remaining fixtures at neutral venues to circumvent past the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite mass calls of cancelling the season, the Premier League is reportedly determined to resume the season and has already started working towards a projected return. 

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Premier League testing kits prepared for an imminent return

The Sun suggests the Premier League is set to spend around £4 million (€4.5 million) to procure more than 40,000 COVID-19 testing kits before it resumes the season. Reports further indicate that one unnamed Premier League club has already started sending out the Premier League testing kits to players’ homes to test themselves. Other clubs are expected to follow suit in the coming week. 

Also Read | Premier League Return: League Wrestles With 'Project Restart'

Friday's conference call between the clubs saw the officials agree to play the final 92 fixtures behind closed doors at neutral venues. The clubs also reportedly agreed to conduct two tests every week to ensure the safety of the players during training and when the season officially resumes. According to reports in British media, clubs are set to resume individual training by next week. They are hoping to resume regular training by May 25, but it hinges on whether Primer Minister Boris Johnson relaxes the lockdown in the UK. 

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When will Premier League return?

The Premier League has been suspended since March 13 after coronavirus started spreading thick and fast in the UK. At the time of the suspension, Liverpool led the table with 82 points after 29 games. Liverpool were just six points shy of securing their first Premier League title, but the untimely suspension means the fate of the league leaders remains unknown.

At the other end, Norwich, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, West Ham and Watford are all scrambling to avoid relegation. As of now, 'Project Restart' currently stands at resuming the season in June and completing all 92 games in an eight-week period. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and the League Managers' Association (LMA) are set to continue their discussions to come to an agreement about the Premier League return.

Also Read | Premier League Return: Clubs Agree To Play Remaining Fixtures At Neutral Venues: Report