Willian is out of contract at the end of June but will have to remain at Chelsea if the season continues into July and beyond

Players looking to move when their contacts expire at the end of June will be made to stay at their clubs until this season is finished as part of a Fifa plan drawn up in response to the coronavirus crisis.

The Premier League and other leading European leagues know they may need to extend the season through the summer to complete scheduled matches and receive revenue from broadcasters, but have been concerned about the damage to the integrity of results if players are allowed to move when standard contracts expire on June 30.

However, in a document seen by The Times, Fifa cites the global pandemic as a “force majeure” — an unforeseen situation that prevents contracts from being fulfilled.

The document says that