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Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has admitted he wants Premier League games to be played abroad(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has been open about his hopes to see competitive games played abroad in the future.

But amendments to the Football Governance Bill could see that vision ended early.

Last week, as first reported by the Guardian, it was claimed that the UK Government were ready to back plans to put a block on the Premier League and EFL taking competitive regular season games abroad, with Ministers potentially adding an amendment to the bill, which has had its second reading in the House of Commons.

The Guardian reported that there were some concerns from MPs around the strength of one clause in the bill, which stated that clubs must seek the regulator’s permission “to move home games elsewhere”.

The idea of a ‘39th game’ has been kicking around in the Premier League since 2008, but both Premier League CEO, Richard Masters, and the league’s chief football officer, Tony Scholes, have both gone on record to state that there were “no plans” to take games overseas.

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But that stance comes against the backdrop of major leagues like Spain’s LaLiga openly pursuing such a move, with LaLiga chiefs openly stating that they wanted to play competitive games in major markets like the United States so that they can grow the brand.

Allowing regular season games abroad at a time when the English game is resisting it is seen as a way to claw back some of the ground lost and provide a meaningful way into lucrative markets like the US.

Last year, in an interview with the Financial Times, Werner spoke on his desire to see games played abroad, although his stance was one that was not supported publicly by Fenway Sports Group chief John W.

Henry, who was less than keen on the idea.

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“I’m determined one day to have a Premier League game be played in New York City,” Werner told the Financial Times.

In the same interview, however, Liverpool’s principal owner, Henry, said the idea was “not something that I advocate or am particularly interested in”.

Premier League clubs have become hyperfocused on growing their fan bases abroad in recent years, and the return of pre-season tours post-COVID have also seen a rise in clubs playing exhibition games during the season or immediately after the end of the season in a bid to ensure they are activating commercial partnerships and connected with both existing and potential fans around the world.

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But there has been a growing interest in clubs hosting competitive games abroad in the same way that Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA have all embarked on.

Last year, Jon Miller, a leading executive at America’s Premier League broadcaster NBC Sports and an instrumental figure in negotiating the network’s multi-billion dollar media rights deal with the Premier League, told the Athletic: “At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games open the season here in big stadiums on our opening weekend.

“I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular season games but in the meantime, we’ll continue to work with the Premier League to do everything we can to make the games available to as many people as possible.”