Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess has admitted that talks over a new contract have unsurprisingly cooled due to the Coronavirus crisis.

The centre-back has been an important player for Kenny Jackett this season, featuring in 32 league game as Pompey sit fourth in League One and firmly in contention for automatic promotion.

However, with his current deal set to expire on June 30, there were already doubts about Burgess' long-term future before the football world was halted.

Of course, that has made the issue much more complicated, particularly as players who are out of contract in a matter of months don't know what the rules will be for them.

And, BBC reporter Andrew Moon has revealed that Burgess explained that talks are on the 'back burner', whilst he also called on the authorities to come to an agreement for out of contract players.

From Pompey's perspective, the financial implications of the virus could impact their offer and a lot could depend on what division they are playing in next season.

With no training, Burgess has been delivering supplies to vulnerable people during this pandemic.

The verdict

This is completely understandable as clubs and players up and down the country know that sorting out contracts is not the priority now at all.

Burgess will understand this and it's a case of being patient and firstly seeing what happens to those who are out of contract on June 30, as the reality is that the season will extend beyond that.

Obviously, Pompey will want to keep the player but this is something that won't be sorted for a few months at least.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.