Premier League could get SIX Champions League places next season

The Premier League could get six Champions League places next season.

Should West Ham finish fifth next season and win the Europa League the Premier League’s sixth-placed team will qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham’s place in the quarter-finals of their respective European competitions means the Premier League are set to receive one of two extra Champions League spots next term, allocated to countries with the best UEFA coefficient ranking.

But that fifth-place qualifying position will pass to the sixth team in the Premier League if the same club qualify for Europe by winning a UEFA trophy.

While West Ham are currently 11 points adrift of fifth, they are more likely to finish in that position than Arsenal, City or Liverpool.

However, if a Premier League side finishing in the top four also won a European trophy, however, that extra Champions League place would be allocated to a different country.

The extra rules are because the Champions League next term will have a new format in the group stage.

Instead of the usual 32 teams, 36 will be competing in a single league phase that includes all sides.

West Ham are 11 points adrift of fifth spot (Getty)

Each team will be guaranteed to play eight matches and every game will take place over 10 weeks.

During the league phase, the top eight sides will automatically qualify for the knockout stage, while those finishing from ninth to 24th will compete in a play-off consisting of two legs to decide who makes the last 16.

Then from the round of 16, there will be a tennis-style seeding system, that will ensure the top four teams can't play each other until the semi-finals while the top two from the league can only face one another in the final.