Premier League games WILL be held in the USA, Chris Sutton predicts on It's All Kicking Off, but he argues move could only 'look after the big boys' - as Ian Ladyman insists top-flight 'isn't ours anymore'

Premier League games will controversially be held in the United States in the future, Chris Sutton has argued, but he believes the move is simply to 'look after the elite'.

American broadcasting giant NBC is keen for top-flight games to be played in the US on the opening weekend of the season and a senior executive at the company has said there will be a 'renewed' push to make the proposal a reality.

NBC is the Premier League's broadcast partner in the US and its current TV deal, which is worth £2billion over six seasons, is also the largest outside of the UK. 

Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, has admitted the door is open to fixtures being moved to the States - but there are currently no plans to do so. 

The Premier League previously looked to host fixtures overseas in 2008 - the ill-fated 39th game push - but plans were dropped after a fierce backlash from supporters. 

Sutton, however, expects figures to U-turn on the idea.

'I do I think it will happen eventually, probably because money dictates everything,' Sutton said on the latest episode of the It's All Kicking Off podcast.

'But just think back to the start of the season. Do you think the US audience would have enjoyed an opening game of Sheffield United against Burnley? 

'It's about just looking after the big boys, isn't it, commercially? Looking after the elite. And that's why it stinks a bit. It will not stink if it's the same across the board. If everybody is involved and every team in the Premier League gets a shot at it.'

Mail Sport Football Editor Ian Ladyman, however, believes that the proposals were never truly dropped even in light of the collapse of the 39th game.

'I've never really been convinced that that has gone away,' he said.

'And what we need to understand in terms of the prospects of our Premier League games being played in America in particular is one very simple fact, which is that almost half of the current Premier League is American owned now. 

'That's the first thing you need to understand. The second is that the overseas broadcasters now pay more for the rights to broadcast the Premier League than our domestic broadcasters do. So that's where the money is coming from.'

FIFA's stance against games being played abroad looks to have softened in recent years after they dropped legal action against LaLiga. The Spanish top tier had looked to host a game between Barcelona and Girona in Miami back in 2018. 

But Sutton fears for the impact on loyal supporters not able to jet overseas.

'It makes financial sense and what you're arguing is very logical,' he said. 'But then strip everything back to the die-hard fans who rock up every home and away game, but especially the home games, [and] pay the hard-earned money. 

'There are people who go to every single game and have been to every single game for years, who then won't be able to go and watch their team play over it.'

Ladyman, though, says the division is now an international commodity. 

'We seem to cling onto this idea that the Premier League is ours,' he said. 'And the fact is, Chris, if I'm really, really honest, the Premier League isn't ours anymore. 

'It's not ours because it's an international football league that's played by clubs that are owned by international businesses and investors. The players are largely foreign, the coaches are, and the money, so much of the money is coming from abroad. 

'It's an international football league that happens to be played in England. That's what the Premier League is now. It's not what it was.'