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The Premier League could be in line for a major shake-up after five of England's biggest clubs met for secret talks over a breakaway European Super League.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal met with American billionaire Stephen Ross at London's Dorchester hotel on Tuesday to discuss a potential power shift.

Ed Woodward, Manchester United's executive vice-chairman, Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis and City chief executive Ferran Soriano were all in attendance for the cloak-and-dagger meeting.

The potential departure of five of the country's biggest clubs from the domestic game would mark the biggest carve up in English football since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.

And an invitation-only continental super league - also featuring the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Olympiacos and others - would all but spell the end of the UEFA Champions League.

(Image: Shaun Botterill) (Image: Matthew Peters)

It would not just be a hammer blow to the Premier League but also to UEFA, who already find themselves at loggerheads with the European Club Association.

The ECA are keen for UEFA to revamp the Champions League, with its cabal - led by AC Milan and Bayern Munich - wanting Europe's premier club competition to be more of a closed shop, with guaranteed places for the clubs who have the greatest TV appeal.

That includes the likes of United, Liverpool and Chelsea - as well as Milan, who haven't qualified since 2013. All are struggling in the top flight this term and face a real struggle to qualify for next season's competition.

Ross, a 75-year-old real estate mogul with a net worth of £4.8billion, is the brains behind the operation.

The Miami Dolphins owner has been a key player behind the International Champions Cup series, the pre-season competition which has seen the likes of Real Madrid fly to Australia, United face Barcelona in San Francisco and will take City to China this summer.

(Image: AFP/Getty)

An agreement over a new competition would stop the clubs missing out on the Champions League millions whenever they fail to qualify.

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The Premier League's new TV deal has again reached extraordinary levels - a guaranteed £100million per club for the next three years.

But a breakaway featuring the continent's elite would unquestionably have a negative effect on that, and in turn those clubs left behind.