Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward said clubs will not spend "hundreds of millions" on hiring new players for the transfer window because they will be aware of the financial impact of the emerging Corona virus (Covid-19).
Football has stopped in England since March 13 due to the pandemic, and many clubs have witnessed a decline in revenue as a result of the layoff, which resulted in workers being granted compulsory leave.
Woodward pointed out that the market will witness difficult times, and clubs may not behave "in the usual way", including United, when looking to include new players.
He also told a forum for United fans on Friday, "We need to know the impact of this on the entire industry, including transfer times and the broader financial picture, before we consider returning to the normal course."
"On this basis, I feel that speculation about the transfer of hundreds of millions of players this summer seems to ignore the reality facing sports," he added.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertenachen said earlier this week that players whose contracts expire will be more wanted than others during the transfer window, as clubs seek to recover from the financial crisis.
Woodward said he hoped to continue the season as fifth-placed United sought to qualify for the Champions League, in addition to continuing to compete in the European League and the FA Cup.
The English Premier League is not expected to return until May at the very least, but Woodward said that the first matches after the League's resumption might be held without fans.
"There might be a need to play matches without fans in the short term, but we are all aware that football will not return to normal until the fans can attend again," he added.