The Premier League is not currently discussing plans to follow the NFL and NBA into staging regular season games overseas as chief Richard Masters insisted 'it is not the right time'.

Proposals to play one international round of Premier League fixtures in addition to the 38 regular games - dubbed the 39th step - were mooted in 2008 but quickly shut down. 

The plans were met with strong opposition from fans and figures within the game, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Premier League chief Richard Masters has insisted the top-flight will not host games abroad

The Scot, who led the Red Devils to 13 top-flight titles, slammed club owners for failing to consult with managers on the matter, while FIFA and UEFA also dismissed the idea. 

Despite the great global traction the Premier League has, with the overseas broadcast deal ($6.13billion) exceeding the domestic rights ($6.07bn), chief executive Masters has insisted the idea of taking game abroad is not part of the league's agenda. 

'Yes,' Masters said, via ESPN, when asked if it was too soon to review the proposals. 'We had this discussion in 2008, which is a long time ago, but I don't think now is the right time. It's not part of our agenda.

'There are issues to sort out with the calendar because of the changes at European level [new Champions League format from 2024-25] and FIFA haven't yet concluded what they want to do with the global calendar.

'We are an active part of the World Leagues Forum, discussing things at a global level and obviously want to protect domestic league football as best we can.

'There are lots of issues going on and, at the moment, it [overseas PL games] is not something that is part of our discussion.'

Major leagues in the US, including the NFL and NBA, have long held games overseas.  

Meanwhile, London will play host to Major League Baseball games in 2023, 2024 and 2026. 

It was announced last week that the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will play a two-game set in the British capital on June 24 and 25 of next year. 

The resumption of the London Series, as it is known, is part of MLB's continued effort to grow the game overseas after previously holding a pair of sold-out Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees games at the West Ham United ground in 2019.

Other countries have taken soccer games overseas with Spain and Italy taking their Super Cup games, pitting league winners against cup winners, abroad to countries including China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.