Bold plans for a new club in Liverpool include a target to reach Super League by 2023.

Former Salford owner Marwan Koukash and businessman Luke Backhouse, previously a sponsor at Widnes, are two figures behind the initiative and they are currently in talks with the local authorities over proposed sites to play.

Speaking to Insider Media, Backhouse said: “We thought it was time to start our own and Liverpool is an untapped market.

“It’s become a passion.

“We’re getting help from the council and in terms of getting sponsors and investors, we haven’t had to go looking. They’re excited about how big it could become.

“We hope to launch in 2021 and hopefully we can work our way to the Super League by 2022 or 2023.

“The RFL are expanding at the moment. I know there’re propositions for teams in Los Angeles and New York, and the Toronto Wolfpack team are already established.

“It’s expanding on a huge international scale and it could be one of the few sports where we could have a fixture of Liverpool v New York City. It’s got huge marketability.”

The new team is set to launch the day before Magic Weekend kicks-off at Anfield on May 24.