Arsène Wenger believes that the idea of a European super league could become a reality in 10 years' time as the Arsenal manager suggested that the continent's leading clubs could not be sated by the Champions League.
The Frenchman has nothing against Europe's elite competition in its current format but, on the eve of the first leg of his team's final-round qualifying tie for the group phase against Celtic here, he predicted a time when a potentially more exclusive trophy could be on offer.
"I see more a European league developing over time rather than one team going out of the country," said Wenger, when he was asked whether he could envisage Celtic or Rangers joining the Premier League. "The national leagues will survive but maybe in 10 years, you will have a European league.
"I'm not sure 100% that I'm right but I feel inside our game there are some voices behind the scenes coming up to do something about that, especially if the rules become too restrictive for these clubs."
The worry for Wenger would be if the European league were to be created by an elite cartel or, to use his term, a "franchise", breaking away to divvy up the wealth rather than it being constructed on a system of merit, involving promotions from the various national leagues.
"Personally, I believe only in sporting merit," he said. "So, if such a league is created, it has to be by transfers up and down, although that is practically very difficult to resolve and we do not want to kill the national leagues. Teams would have to play in both the European league in midweek and the national league at the weekend. It means all these teams have two teams.
"The way we are going financially is that even the money that will be coming in from the Champions League will not be enough for some clubs because they spend too much money. The income is basically owned by Uefa and they distribute the money to the clubs."
Wenger said that Theo Walcott had broken down in training yesterday morning and had been sent for a scan on his lower back problem instead of travelling to Glasgow with his team-mates. "It was not positive at all," Wenger said of the winger's attempt to train. "He had to stop. The injury happened before England played Holland. The England medical staff didn't send him back to us because they thought it would be possible for him to play. "
Walcott originally sustained the problem during Arsenal's final pre-season friendly against Valencia in Spain. His brief appearance represented his only run out during the build-up period because Wenger had granted him extended leave following his exertions for both Fabio Capello's England team and Stuart Pearce's Under-21s. Wenger had been fiercely opposed to the 20-year-old playing for both international teams before the start of a long season which should culminate in a World Cup finals appearance for Walcott in South Africa next summer.
The Celtic manager, Tony Mowbray, insisted that his side have the right to be on the same pitch tonight as an Arsenal team that thumped Everton 6-1 at Goodison Park. "We have some players who could give a good account of themselves at the top echelon of the Premier League," he said. Mowbray observed, though, that Arsenal and the others in a four-club cartel that may soon be expanded to accommodate Manchester City are in a different category from the other English clubs. Mowbray was in charge of West Brom when they were relegated but is clear that he now has "a stronger team".
Celtic can point to home wins, under Gordon Strachan's management, over Manchester United in 2006 and Milan the foll0wing year. "The players should want to challenge themselves," said Mowbray. "They watch the live [Premier League] games and they see these players. If the boys who have never played in England have got anything about them then they should be wanting to test themselves."
Mowbray refuses to accept the theory that Arsenal can be bullied. "My view is that they lost too many quality players [last season]," he said. "If you lose Cesc Fábregas for four months you have lost probably one of the best footballers in the world. When Arsenal's best team are playing anybody in the Premier League they more than give them a game."