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Premier League clubs are set to go to war over the country’s hottest prospects.

Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal Aston Villa lodged a complaint with the Premier League over the Elite Player Performance Plan ­compensation scheme.

West Brom are also unhappy with the current structure and a gang of Premier League clubs could join forces to try and stop all the best talent being cherry-picked.

Villa are upset that under EPPP rules they will get an initial ­payment of just over £200,000 for England Under-17 international Dan Crowley from Arsenal.

Crowley is aged 15 and had not agreed a professional contract, which means Villa can only claim a set fee for the player dubbed ‘the new Jack Wilshere’.

They approached the ­Premier League to argue that, because he played for Villa’s Under-18 side, Crowley should be treated as a 17-year-old and his fee should be set by a tribunal. The case was dismissed.

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West Brom fear they will lose highly-rated 16-year-old Isaiah Brown to Chelsea for a low fee, despite the fact he verbally agreed to sign a pro contract. Liverpool have signed 14-year-old Yan Dhanda from West Brom, while Manchester United have been chasing Fulham 16-year-old Patrick Roberts.

West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace believes it is unfair that Category One clubs can sign players from other Category One clubs for knockdown set fees.

Having spent £2.5million on upgrading West Brom’s ­academy facilities, Peace said: “It’s a big year for EPPP. If it isn’t successful then we need to look at it.”

West Brom sporting and technical director Richard Garlick added: “The elephant in the room is that the big clubs were pushing for this so that every player has his price of £200,000.”

Another source at a Premier League club’s academy said: “The way things are going the top six clubs will have all of the best kids in the country.

“The set fees between ­Category One clubs are so low that the big clubs can afford to just sign up all the best ­talent.”

Villa used EPPP to help them sign 16-year-old striker Liam Prynn from Torquay, but the Midlands club can argue their Category One status means the teenager will be guaranteed a better standard of coaching.But under EPPP rules, a player moving between Category One clubs is not theoretically being promised a better level of training or infrastructure.

Newly-promoted Hull, who only have a Category Three academy, have lost 16-year-old forward Harry Cardwell to ­relegated Reading, who have Category One status, for £75,000.

Crystal Palace ­chairman Steve Parish and academy director Gary ­Issott are not fans of EPPP, while Southampton are understood to hold reservations.

It would take at least 14 Premier League clubs to vote for a change to force a re-think to the EPPP compensation scale.

Arsenal, Chelsea, ­Manchester United, Manchester City, ­Tottenham and Liverpool are unlikely to want change, which means the rest of the Premier League would need to vote against them.

The compensation levels of transfers of youngsters ­between Category One clubs was a topic of debate among clubs when EPPP was first voted in and the issue is now set to be raised again.

Other than set levels of compensation, clubs are due ­appearance-based add-ons and sell-on fees under EPPP rules.