Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport involved in potentially huge European development | OneFootball

The Welsh EFL clubs could be set to play in their domestic country's League Cup

The four Welsh EFL clubs are in talks with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) about entering the Welsh League Cup and the chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League.

Swansea City, Cardiff City, Wrexham and Newport County all compete in the English pyramid and can currently qualify for European football via the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, but it is reported that they could consider sacrificing this for a chance to qualify via their domestic League Cup.

The four Welsh clubs would continue to compete in the English system, with the BBC reporting that the four clubs have held discussions with the FAW about entering the Welsh League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup, with the winners earning a spot in the Europa Conference League.

Given the four clubs are currently all outside the Premier League, the chance of qualifying for Europe via the English system looks highly unlikely in the short-term future, and the chance to qualify for Europe via winning the Welsh League Cup would be a realistic goal for the Welsh EFL sides.

The BBC have reported that an extensive independent report by Deloitte which was commissioned by Swansea on behalf of the Welsh EFL clubs and the FAW found that joining the Welsh League Cup and subsequent Europa Conference League qualification would "drive improvement for the whole Welsh football ecosystem” and that “financial gains will be re-distributed in a manner that lifts grassroots, domestic Welsh clubs and the women’s game”.

The clubs and the FAW have presented their vision called Prosiect Cymru to UEFA, the FA, the Premier League and clubs in the top-flight of Welsh football, with it hoped that EFL clubs representing Wales in European competition could help increase their UEFA coefficient.

Wales are currently 50th out of 55 countries when it comes to UEFA coefficient, and it's hoped that EFL clubs competing in the Conference League would help raise Wales' coefficient to "40th or higher".

The New Saints became the first Welsh side to ever reach the group stages of a European tournament when they recently qualified for the Conference League, but sides from the Cymru Premier - the Welsh top flight - have often flattered to deceive in European qualifying rounds, with Caernarfon losing 11-0 to Legia Warsaw on aggregate just this summer.

Swansea City qualified for the Europa League back in 2013 after winning the League Cup, but that came under the English flag as they had won qualification via the English pyramid, and the Welsh EFL clubs would relish the chance to compete in European football with winning the Welsh League Cup a realistic avenue for doing so.

There would be benefits for Wales' domestic sides too, with a tie against one of the big EFL sides likely to attract a big crowd, and would raise the standards of Welsh football.

The u21 sides of Swansea City, Cardiff City and Newport County currently compete in the Welsh League Cup, with Swansea City U21's reaching the final last year, showing that it would provide a realistic chance of silverware for their first-team.

The chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League would be huge for the Welsh EFL sides

The chance to play in the Europa Conference League would be huge for the Welsh EFL clubs, and qualification would bring in huge revenue and the chance to play glamour ties with clubs from across the continent.

Of course, there's still the chance that they could qualify via the English system currently if they were to win a domestic cup, but the chances of that happening are slim, and winning the Welsh League Cup would be a far more likely scenario.

The winner of the Welsh League Cup would have to negotiate qualifying rounds to make the group stage of the Conference League, but you'd back a Championship club like Swansea or Cardiff to do so, given that The New Saints did it this summer.

There is a slight risk of relinquishing the chance to qualify via England, especially if one of the clubs were to reach the Premier League, but on the whole, the positives outweigh the negatives for the Welsh EFL clubs in this situation.

If it were to be approved it remains to be seen how it would go down with fellow EFL clubs, particularly with potential midweek fixture clashes and short turnarounds, but you can certainly understand the Welsh clubs' desire to compete in the Welsh League Cup with a realistic chance of European qualification.

Wales has the unique situation where their four best clubs compete in a different country's league, and competing in a Welsh domestic cup could give the EFL sides the best of both worlds where they play in the English league but also play cup games against their fellow countrymen with the chance of European qualification.