FA chairman Greg Dyke wants to reduce the number of Premier League clubs to 18.

Dyke believes streamlining the Premier League is the only way to improve the national side's chances of success in major tournaments and is seeking talks with the League's executive chairman Richard Scudamore.

He will remind Scudamore, who is certain to try and block the plans, that the FA helped form the Premier League in 1992 with the original intention of having a division of 18 clubs, says the Sunday Express.

It in fact began with 22 and it was only pressure from FIFA that reduced it to 20 three years later.