Why Wales' EFL clubs are eyeing Europe via Welsh League Cup

Swansea and Cardiff City both play in English football's second tier

Wales’ English Football League (EFL) clubs are in talks about a “transformational” change which would see them enter a Welsh cup competition in order to qualify for European football.

Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County play in the English pyramid and are therefore only able to qualify for European competitions via the Premier League, FA Cup or EFL Cup.

But the clubs have held discussions with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) about entering the Welsh League Cup - currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup - for a chance to represent Wales in the Europa Conference League.

The talks have provoked a big reaction from football fans in Wales, with the issue polarising for many.

BBC Sport Wales takes a look at the pros and cons of the proposals.

Pros and cons of proposal for Welsh-pyramid clubs

Pro... More money and more attention

For clubs based in the Welsh pyramid who are already playing in the Cymru Premier or below, the positive aspect of the English-based clubs joining the League Cup is fairly simple, it comes down to money.

In a league where many clubs are still semi-professional, the allure of the likes of Cardiff and Swansea City is obvious with the clubs enjoying large fan followings.

Any side who drew one of the four English-based clubs would potentially be looking at a money-spinning tie, with more eyes on the fixture than for a usual league game.

Former Swansea striker Lee Trundle, who played Welsh League football after leaving the professional game, believes the financial aspect will be compelling for many Welsh clubs.

"I think that’s something that we’ve got to look at, if you can have a competition that will bring money into Welsh football, that helps everyone," he said.

"I think it’s great that the money will be filtered down.

"Me as a fan and me as someone playing in the Welsh leagues as well, I think it’s brilliant. To even come up against one of those professional clubs and test yourself as a player, I think it will highlight the league more."

Con... Less chance of European qualification

Simple really. In a world where most of the players are semi-professional, the entrance of four fully professional sides is likely to see opportunities to win the League Cup and qualify for the Europa Conference League diminish for the clubs who are currently eligible to compete.

The Cymru League Cup does not currently offer a European place, meaning a further hurdle would need to be overcome should a new competition be introduced.

The flip-side of the coin will mean that more revenue and attention would be the increased competitive levels with Welsh-based clubs other than Cymru Premier champions The New Saints unlikely to be able to regularly beat their cross-border rivals.

Trundle feels the dominance of TNS - who have won the Cymru Premier in 11 of the past 13 seasons - is such that it negates arguments about the quality of competition.

"I think people will look at it that way and say if professional clubs are dropping into the competition then they might say the standards are a lot better so they (Welsh-based clubs) have less of a chance, but I think if you look at the Welsh domestic league, TNS have dominated that for many years," he said.

"There are a lot of clubs in the Welsh Premier League that will never have a chance of playing European football, so you could say 'is it fair that TNS qualify every year?'.

The New Saints have won the Cymru Premier title in each of the past three seasons

Pros and cons of proposal for EFL clubs

Pro... A much easier route into Europe

The English-based clubs and the FAW have already presented their vision – Prosiect Cymru, Welsh for Project Wales – to Uefa, the Football Association, Premier League and clubs in the Cymru Premier, Wales’ domestic top flight.

Central to those presentations has been an extensive independent report into the venture by Deloitte, which was commissioned by Swansea on behalf of the four EFL clubs and the FAW.

It should come as no surprise that the talks are being driven by Swansea, because the benefit for Swansea, Cardiff, Wrexham and Newport is extremely obvious, the promise of regular European football.

Until the early 1990s, all four clubs had been semi-regular competitors in European competitions and the allure of playing Europa Conference League group games against the likes of Fiorentina - as TNS will do this week - is an extremely attractive prospect for four clubs currently outside the Premier League.

Former Wales and Swansea striker Ian Walsh says playing in Europe with Swansea was one of his career highlights.

"I was involved heavily when I was back here with Swansea, we played European Cup matches, Cup Winners’ Cup, they were great adventures and we had some great teams and some great players that came to play against us over the couple of years that I was involved," he said.

"If you look at the bigger picture it will be a fantastic. If you’re Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham or Newport and you’ve got a European match playing at your home ground against a decent side."

Con... European success would be capped and a long summer will await

Although Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport would continue to play league football in England, this move would mean sacrificing their ability to qualify for Europe via English competitions, as Swansea did when they played in the Europa League after winning the EFL Cup in 2013.

Cardiff have also come within one game (after losing the 2008 FA Cup final) and a penalty shoot-out (after losing the 2012 League Cup final) of qualifying for the Europa League.

Wrexham, currently in League One but owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are chasing a third successive promotion and could be in the Championship next season.

The ambitious north Wales club are targeting a place in the Premier League and it is far from inconceivable that they, or Swansea or Cardiff, could qualify for the Europa or Champions League sometime in the future.

However, should this agreement be ratified, the English-pyramid Welsh clubs would have essentially capped their European potential, meaning an FA Cup or EFL Cup victory would be meaningless in terms of European qualification.

Indeed, one of the Welsh clubs could win one of those competitions and not play in Europe at all, the following season, if they failed to win the Welsh League Cup.

And even if they do qualify... a long summer of trying qualify for the group stages of the Conference League might also be an issue.

This season qualifying began on July 10 and while it is hoped the involvement of the EFL clubs could improve Wales’ standing in Uefa's association club coefficients, from 50th to “40th or higher”, the current low coefficient would mean an early start for qualifying.

Wales' current ranking of 50 out of 55 means only the top divisions in San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Belarus and North Macedonia are ranked lower in Europe.

Any other issues?

The most glaring issue potentially facing the EFL clubs considering a return to a Welsh Cup competition, is the potential for it to threaten their place in the English Football League or the English domestic cups.

Newport County fans will not need reminding that they needed to take the FAW to court in order to continue their existence in the EFL after they went bankrupt in the late 1980s and would not welcome any such battles in the future.

But the stance of the English FA and the other clubs in the Premier League and Football League would surely be taken into account before any move was ratified?

Would Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport be allowed to play in the Welsh League Cup and the English domestic cups?

It awaits to be seen.

The other issue, seemingly not identified in talks so far, is what any deal would mean for Merthyr Town FC.

The current Southern League, Premier South, division leaders who describe themselves as 'South Wales' Premier Non-League team' also play in the English pyramid. Would they also be invited to join the Welsh League Cup?

As with other aspects of this proposal, the answer is currently unclear.