A staggering 18 out of the Premiership's 20 clubs could be under foreign ownership in the next five years.

Nine current Premiership clubs are owned by foreigners and the Daily Telegraph says according to football industry sources, another nine are up for sale with only Wigan's owner Dave Whelan and Middlesbrough's Steve Gibson resisting the temptation to cash in.

Boosted by the Premier League's £2.7 billion television deal and mass worldwide popularity, English clubs have become the must-have accessory for the international super rich.

Such has been the rise in the value of English clubs, that the £500 million spent by Roman Abramovich in acquiring Chelsea and investing in new players to turn the club into Premiership champions, is now seen by some analysts as a shrewd investment.

Even the £800 million spent by the Glazers on Manchester United could now be worth far more with speculation that a Chinese consortium is interested in making a £1 billion bid.