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The Premier League will revisit the idea of a future takeover of the Women's Super League in 12 months' time.
Premier League clubs are understood to have been presented with the findings of a feasibility study at their shareholders' meeting in London last week.
The Press Association news agency understands the league has not turned its back on plans to assume control of the WSL from the Football Association , but that it was felt the timing was not quite right.
A decision was taken to look at the issue again in another year, with dialogue to continue in the meantime.
Attendances in the WSL have improved this season on the back of England's run to the World Cup semi-finals last summer, even when taking matches played at Premier League venues such as the Etihad Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium out of the calculations.
Show all 21 1 /21Premier League dream signings Premier League dream signings WANTED MEN Just some of Premier League clubs' dream transfer targets...
Premier League dream signings 20th Norwich: Ben Gibson (Burnley)/Eric Garcia (Man City) OK, let's be semi-realistic here and consider that Norwich are bottom and facing relegation, without a sudden turnaround. Their biggest problem is conceding goals – they have let in 47 in the Premier League, the most of any side – and a quality, proven centre-half like Gibson, who is out of favour at Burnley, would be a huge asset. Alternatively, how about the prodigiously talented Manchester City youngster Garcia on loan until the end of the season?
Man City via Getty
Premier League dream signings 19th Watford: Danny Rose (Tottenham) The Hornets have been scouring for a left back and in Rose they could get one with bags of Premier League, international and European experience.
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
Premier League dream signings 18th Bournemouth: Ollie Watkins (Brentford) The Brentford striker would help solve Bournemouth's need for a goalscorer after Callum Wilson's recent struggles. The 24-year-old is the Championship's top goalscorer with 18 and could save the Cherries after a disastrous start to the season, while also representing an ideal fit to fire them back to the Premier League should the worst happen.
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Premier League dream signings 17th West Ham: Matty Cash (Nottingham Forest) David Moyes has so far not been able to plug West Ham’s leaking defence, with just one clean sheet in their last six Premier League games, and right-back looks to be the main vulnerability in the squad. With Pablo Zabaleta well and truly over the hill and heading for a summer exit – and few options of quality currently available – Nottingham Forest’s Cash has shown this season his ability to deliver at right-back even if it is not his natural position, and at 22 years old even £18m would not be bad business, given what West Ham have wasted their money on in recent years.
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Premier League dream signings 16th Aston Villa: Aleksandar Mitrovoic Fulham certainly won't want to sell him after his flying start to the season, but Aleksandar Mitrovic is a proven goalscorer who would represent an upgrade on the injured Wesley.
Premier League dream signings 15th Brighton: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal) For all Brighton's improvement under Graham Potter, it's clear they need strengthening on the right side. bringing in the Arsenal man on loan would do exactly that.
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Premier League dream signings 14th Newcastle: Salomon Rondon (Dalian Yifang) Beloved by the Newcastle fans and won player of the year, yet the club didn't sign him permanently. Now at Dalian Yifang after a £16.5 million move, Joelinton has proven a disaster and Steve Bruce is craving a No 9 to build his side around. Rondon, now 30, would be an expensive option, but with the club looking to establish some continuity, a tried and tested option who will go down well with the fans may prove appealing.
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Premier League dream signings 13th Burnley: Ronaldo Vieira The former Leeds United midfielder has found his feet this season with Sampdoria and has impressed enough to catch the eye of Premier League suitors Burnley, who are reportedly interested in bringing him back to England. With Danny Drinkwater departing this month, Sean Dyche would be wise to bring in a fresh option in midfield, and at around £15m Vieira may tick that box.
AP
Premier League dream signings 12th Everton: Wilfried Zaha Zaha's stock has dropped this season just enough to have slipped off the biggest radars, and that makes him ripe to be signed by a club like Everton with top-six aspirations. Palace need to cash in soon, and with their safety almost guaranteed Everton might just be able to prise the winger away. He would be a fine addition to Bernard, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott out wide.
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Premier League dream signings 11th Crystal Palace: Jamal Lewis (Norwich) With Patrick van Aanholt inching his way out the door a new left-back is a must. Norwich’s Lewis is one of the best young full-backs in the country and would be a nice fit.
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Premier League dream signings 10th Arsenal: Thilo Kehrer (PSG) Thiago Silva is out of contract this summer but with their goal of winning the Champions League, the Brazilian will surely remain until the summer now. Presnel Kimpembe would be a dream signing for Mikel Arteta, but perhaps a trickier target than say Thilo Kehrer, who is struggling to start with Marquinhos and Abdou Diallo also presenting options at the back for Thomas Tuchel. Kehrer is still just 23 and could provide a long-term solution to to a problem area for the Gunners.
AFP/Getty Images
Premier League dream signings 9th Southampton: Kyle Walker-Peters (Spurs) The Tottenham defender already looks to be on his way to St Mary’s this month, but Saints could well view the move as a preliminary matter to a permanent summer move. Cedric Soares is already sidelined for three weeks with a knee ligament injury and could be on the move in the summer regardless, and with Walker-Peters out of favour under Jose Mourinho, a fresh start could suit all parties.
REUTERS
Premier League dream signings 8th Sheffield United: Sander Berge (Genk) Sheffield United have had their eye on the Genk midfielder and he would be a perfect fit. He is enormous, energetic and tidy on the ball, and the 21-year-old would bolster a midfield that has been highly effective so far this season.
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Premier League dream signings 7th Wolves: Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid) It's ambitious but Jorge Mendes has pulled off bigger heists. Lemar would add genuine Champions League quality to a side eagerly chasing a top four place.
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Premier League dream signings 6th Tottenham: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) The romantic return that simply won't go away. Not wanted or loved at Real Madrid, Spurs can now hand him the keys to this side at their brand new stadium. The Welsh star's box office ability could mask the less glamorous style of Jose Mourinho, not to mention drag Spurs back to the top four, a deal Daniel Levy simply must explore.
Reuters
Premier League dream signings 5th Manchester United: James Maddison (Leicester) Bruno Fernandes may be the more realistic arrival in January – if any – but Maddison would prove the genuine dream option given the creativity he would bring that United so desperately lack right now, as well as the long-term option at just 23 years old. He would come at a premium, potentially in excess of £80m and much more expensive than Sporting’s Fernandes, but United have never been afraid to splash the cash.
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Premier League dream signings 4th Chelsea: Ben Chilwell (Leicester) OK, maybe Jadon Sancho is the ultimate dream, but how about Leicester's Chilwell? Left-back is undoubtedly Frank Lampard's weak point right now, and he seems to have little faith in either Marcos Alonso or Emerson. Chilwell would go straight in the side and would still be there in 10 years.
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Premier League dream signings 3rd Leicester: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) What if the Foxes prepared for the imminent departure of James Maddison in the summer by snapping up the next best thing? Grealish would fit seamlessly in and they wouldn’t skip a beat when Maddison inevitably leaves.
Action Images via Reuters
Premier League dream signings 2nd Man City: Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes) A precocious talent who City would be thrilled to land ahead of almost every ambitious European club. An exciting midfielder who can eventually fill the void set to be left by Ilkay Gundogan and to a lesser extent David Silva. The 17-year-old is always keen to drive forward but has an eye for a quick pass that will suit Pep Guardiola's desire to sustain a high tempo. Half a season of adjusting to City's style of play, while offering a wildcard option off the bench could be the ideal signing for City here.
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Premier League dream signings 1st Liverpool: Kai Havertz (Leverkusen) How do you improve the Premier League’s undefeated runaway leaders? You replace the one player they wish they’d never let go. Philippe Coutinho has never really been replaced at Anfield, despite their midfield’s success this season, and moving to bring the exiled Barcelona midfield back from a loan at Bayern Munich would be risky given his recent form. So Liverpool could effectively move for the next Coutinho in Bayer Leverkusen midfield Havertz, who would certainly fit the bill of providing the attacking threat from deep and talent to work with the club’s superstar front three.
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The FA would not stand in the way of such a takeover at the appropriate point, and said in July of last year: "The FA can confirm that it is supporting the Premier League in a project to explore the long-term feasibility of the Premier League running the Women's Super League. This is a purely exploratory project and based on a long-term timescale.
"The FA is proud that it set up the first European women's professional league and the relevant player pathways as part of its commitment to growing the women's game. We have recently established a joint WSL/Women's Championship Board with the clubs to oversee the future strategy and policy of the professional game.
"It is this board that will recommend the best way forward to the FA as it determines what is in the best interests of the leagues. However, the FA has always been clear that it is open to an external body running the WSL in the long term, as the FA's remit is to support the game from grassroots to elite teams."
The WSL was founded in 2010, and launched in April 2011.
PA
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