Manchester United are among those leading European clubs who have been urging most caution over the potential formation of a new European Super League.

German magazine Der Spiegel claimed on Friday that talks had reached an advanced stage over a competition that could start as early as 2021, but The Telegraph understands that United, as well as Arsenal, have been among the most influential voices in resisting the drive for such a radical change.

Various proposals have been circulated at different stages of the past decade but it is clubs across the continent, whose domestic leagues have struggled to keep pace with the Premier League’s financial might, who have been most vocally arguing for a new competition.

A senior Whitehall source has also told the Telegraph that such a move would be strongly opposed by Government, while Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin promised on Monday to "fight against" the idea.

It has been claimed that plans for a European Super League, with 11 founding members - Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich - remain on the table. The report added that, from as early as November 2018, the 11 teams could sign a "binding team sheet" and commit to the new European Super League from 2021.