A North Atlantic League is back on the agenda after UEFA confirmed plans to change the Champions League for the benefit of Europe’s elite.

Faced with the threat of a breakaway super league unless the competition was scaled back to 24 clubs, Europe’s governing body caved in and offered the top four clubs from the four biggest leagues automatic entry to the Champions League.

Critically, the champions of the SPFL will still be granted access to the group stage via a seeded ‘Champions route’.

Champions Celtic could benefit from changes in UEFA's coefficient system

Prize money is also guaranteed to be ‘increased significantly’ due to the presence of 16 clubs from the major leagues, while UEFA say the coefficient system will be changed to take account of a club’s individual results in Europe and ‘historical success in the competition’.

This could be of potential benefit to clubs like Celtic and Ajax.

However, Sportsmail understands that clubs from Scotland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark have already begun discussing a 20-team North Atlantic League to be initiated when the next Champions League broadcasting cycle ends in 2021.

In theory, up to four Scottish clubs could feature in a concept first mooted in the late 1990s but mothballed in the years since.

Much-derided, the Atlantic League concept fell victim to UEFA opposition.

However, UEFA interim general secretary Theodore Theodoridis admitted in June that ‘active discussions’ have taken place between clubs and the European body over cross-border leagues.

Clubs from Scotland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark have already held talks

The leading candidates for the UEFA presidency, Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag, have vowed to fight to protect the Champions League.

While the maintenance of the Champions route will protect Scottish clubs, the fear of being left trailing behind by an increasingly wealthy elite remains.

Responding to UEFA’s announcement of competition changes taking effect from 2018, SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: ‘There is still a lot to be worked through before we can comment fully on these changes, with UEFA stating that full details of the access list for both competitions will be finalised by the end of the year.

‘What we can say now is that, after lobbying hard for the retention of the Champions route for UEFA Champions League qualification, the SPFL is therefore pleased that the Champions route has been protected as part of these changes. This alone is good news for each season’s Ladbrokes Premiership champion club and indeed for Scottish football as a whole.

‘However, we will monitor this issue and these changes very closely and pledge to continue to fight to protect the best interests of Scottish football in the wider European and global context.’

Celtic to face Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach in Europe

Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers believes reclaiming Celtic Park’s reputation as a European fortress is critical to his side’s chances of progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Pitched in with Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach in the club’s first adventure at this level for three years, the Irishman’s task of extending the Scottish champions’ interest in the competition beyond Christmas could scarcely be harder.

Celtic, however, twice made it through to the knock-out round under Gordon Strachan in 2007 and 2008 with Neil Lennon repeating the trick in 2013.

The Parkhead club won eight and drew one of their group games over those three seasons – a sharp contrast to the past two seasons when they lost at home to the likes Maribor and Molde.

And as hard as the task of matching three sides from Europe’s leading nations will be, Rodgers feels the home crowd on such nights can give his side an enormous advantage.

‘My experience in the competitions in Europe is that the home games are vital for you,’ Rodgers said.

‘If you can pick up your points at home and try and nick something away, which is of course extremely tough, you have a chance.

‘But we’ve got to use the crowd, the amazing support we get at home which will lift the players for sure and make it a real intimidating place for the opponent.

Midfielder Stefan Johansen is close to completing his move to Fulham

‘So if we can get points from home we’ll see what we can get away. Notoriously, Celtic over many years have found it difficult away from home, so that tells you we need to be better in our home games.’

Rodgers hopes to add at least one new face to his squad before the closure of the transfer window on Wednesday with a loan deal for Everton’s James McCarthy still his preferred option.

As Sportsmail revealed, Stefan Johansen is close to completing his move to Fulham and other fringe players are likely to follow.

The day after Peter Lawwell pledged to reinvest every penny of profit from this season back into the team, Rodgers vowed to work with the board to ensure all funds are wisely spent.

‘The club have always said that,’ he added. ‘We’ve tried to improve the team and I think we’ve done that.

‘Obviously we know we’re going into a different competition now, it’s important the club continually moves forward. It’s getting funds now that is astronomical numbers in terms of what it’s had in the last few years.

‘So it’s important that you invest that wisely and everyone recognises that. So Peter (Lawwell) is very sensible in his approach but also understands him and the board have to keep making steps forward, sensible steps.