Wrexham’s involvement in a proposed Welsh League Cup should result in the club being thrown out of the EFL.
That’s the hard line view of talkSPORT’s Darren Bent after learning of the Welsh FA’s plans to launch a revamped domestic cup competition.
And it’s not just the Red Dragons who have become embroiled in the controversial plans.
Cardiff City, Swansea City and Newport County have also been working in tandem with the Welsh FA in a bid to see the clubs represent Wales in European football for the first time in 30 years.
Plans are accelerating at a fast rate but the EFL are expected to oppose the idea.
The competition would see the four clubs, who are members of the EFL, compete against 12 teams from Wales’ top flight in an expanded League Cup with the winner qualifying for the UEFA Conference League under the Welsh coefficient.
The lure of European competition and the revenue that would come with it would prove to be a mouthwatering prospect for Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Welsh FA and the four EFL clubs have presented their plans to UEFA as well as the Welsh and UK governments and are now awaiting approval from the Football Association.
But ahead of what could be a groundbreaking moment in Welsh football, Bent has issued a strong warning to Wrexham’s owners on the plans.
Discussing the potential move on talkSPORT Drive on Wednesday, former Ipswich, Aston Villa and Sunderland striker Bent jumped to the defence of the EFL.
Asked about the inclusion of the quartet, Bent said: “I don’t think they should be able to back door it into Europe.
“You’ve made your decision now, you’re in the EFL.
“They should be kicked out of the EFL if they do enter into this cup.”
Earlier this week, Welsh FA chief executive Noel Mooney told BBC Wales about the gamechanging impact the competition would have on the country’s football landscape.
“This really does change the revenues of Welsh football,” Mooney said.
“This is about improving Wales and improving Welsh football. I have to thank the four top-ranked clubs in the English system for understanding that we need resources. We need better grassroots facilities, investments into the women’s game.
“If people object to this idea, I really think they’re holding back Wales. And why would you want to hold back Wales? What would be someone’s motivation to hold back Wales as a country trying to stand on its own two feet as a football nation?”
The EFL clubs would not receive a share of the £3million prize money and £1million of the funds would be invested in the growth of the Welsh Premier League.
The Welsh FA’s vision for the competition includes the four EFL clubs remaining committed to playing in the English system without jeopardising their status in the football pyramid.
They also stated that the Welsh League Cup will be a 16-team competition with four rounds of single-leg knockout matches, starting in the 2025-26 season.
There will also be a review of the competition after four years to ensure that it is delivering the intended benefits for key stakeholders, and Welsh football and society, with all options on the table if it is not.