FA set to pay up to £3million to release themselves from image rights contract 

The FA are set to pay up to £3million to release them from an image rights contract, with executives understood to have been thrashing out the payment to agency 1966 Entertainment for weeks.

A deal has been ‘all but agreed’ and could even be signed off during the next international break in October.

With an agreement close to completion, the FA had monitored events in Denmark, who had to field a weakened team against Slovakia because of an image rights dispute between the Danish FA (DBU) and the players’ union.

A temporary deal was brokered earlier this month before they played Wales, but the issue is still to be resolved and has been a major distraction.

Once the FA deal is done, bosses will look to change the way they handle England players’ commercial work. 

They will deal directly with England stars such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Jordan Pickford, rather than having to go through a third party for all sponsorship matters involving the squad.

Sources close to the FA believe working with the players will increase commercial revenues and also save money.

Once the deal is done the FA will deal directly with England stars such as Harry Kane