Premier League clubs are preparing to demand the EFL get rid of the League Cup next season, to avoid heavy fixture congestion.

Arsenal's English defender Rob Holding (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the English League Cup third round football match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 24, 2019. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
Arsenal defender Rob Holding (R) celebrates scoring during the English League Cup on September 24, 2019. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

The Daily Mail claim Premier League clubs are planning to try and call the League Cup off next season.

With the Champions League and Europa League group stages to take place squeezed in between late October and early December, and the Premier League not even starting until September, clubs don’t believe they’ll have time for the cup competition as well.

There are various alternatives to calling the competition off completely. They could play on without the Premier League clubs, or without those that qualify for European matches, but both of those options would slash its value to broadcasters and sponsors.

They could start the competition earlier and play the opening rounds (before the top teams join) in August, but they’d still have to squeeze the Premier League team ties in at some point.

Alternatively, they could essentially make the League Cup a youth-team competition for the top sides. Like the EFL Trophy, where u23 PL sides face League One and Two senior teams. But that would also make the cup much less valuable to all involved.

The EFL also don’t have a very strong negotiating position. They’re relying on money from the Premier League to help support the lower leagues financially in the current crisis.

Essentially, it’s looking more and more likely they cancel the competition for a season. Unless they can find some compromise that suits the top clubs, it’s just not feasible to play it in full alongside everything else.