Liverpool and Manchester United are leading an extraordinary plan to completely shake up English football. 

The Telegraph have revealed a  'Revitalisation' document authored by the Reds' owners Fenway Sports Group which has earned the support of United. 

It details hugely significant potential changes including: 

- An 18-team Premier League

- Scrapping the League Cup

- An extra £250 million worth of funding given to the EFL - but parachute payments abolished. 

- A gift of £100 million to help the FA. 

Make no mistake, for the majority of teams, this could potentially be very bad news - however it is dressed up. 

More power to the big six

The newspaper states that the rest of the big six, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, are expected to support the plans. 

The funding to the lower leagues is a trade-off for the big clubs completely tearing up the current structure. 

It is not an act of philanthropy, but a necessity borne of self-interest to allow the elite clubs to continue their dominance. 

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Two more teams would be deprived of top-flight money. There would still be two automatic Championship promotion spots, but the third, fourth, and fifth placed clubs would then go into the play-offs with the team that finished 16th in the Premier League. 

What is more, and perhaps among the most ground-breaking changes, is that the new system would abolish the one-club, one-vote system.

Since the Premier League's inception in 1992, no regulations have been passed without at least 14 clubs agreeing to them. 

The pendulum would swing in favour of the nine clubs who have been in the Premier League for the longest - it's said they would "dictate its running in every aspect". 

If these proposals pass, power will rest firmly in the hands of the big six, the teams who already boast the most financial muscle. They would also be able to have up to 15 players on loan at a time. 

The League Cup

As for the League Cup and the Community Shield, it is not certain they would be abolished altogether. 

One alternative being discussed is that the League Cup would continue, but would not feature the teams already in Europe. 

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That would at least ease fixture congestion and give players more time off, which would be a clear benefit. 

Why? 

These plans have been discussed since 2017, but the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated clubs' financial concerns.

The EFL, and in particular its chairman, the former Liverpool CEO Rick Parry, are supporting the new system in the hope that the financial trickle-down effect will help its stricken members. 

English football is in dire straits right now and its running could soon be completely transformed.