Rangers and Celtic have held preliminary talks with the Women’s Super League over the potential of joining England’s top flight.

It is understood discussions between the two clubs and WSL chiefs have been informal and are at a very early stage and there has been no official approach to the Scottish Women’s Premier League or the Scottish Football Association.

For what would be a groundbreaking move to take place, the Scottish FA would need to be in agreement and any decision would not be in the hands of the Women’s Professional League’s Limited (WPLL), the new company that has taken over the running of the WSL and Championship.

Nikki Doucet, the chief executive officer of the WPLL, has openly talked about women’s football being able to grow in different ways to the men’s game.

As first reported by The Times, it is understood Celtic and Rangers joining the WSL is one of many options on the table. The possibility of the WSL becoming a closed league has also not been ruled out.

Unlike the WSL, the Scottish top flight is not fully professional but managing director Fiona McIntyre said last year that the league is closer than ever to becoming full-time.

Celtic pipped Rangers to the title on the final day of last season but Glasgow City were previously the dominant team in Scotland, winning the league 14 times in a row between 2008 and 2021. They also beat Celtic to the title in the 2022-23 season.

The Premier League rejected the proposal put forward by former Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside that Rangers and Celtic should be invited to join the English men’s top flight in 2009.

The notice period for leaving the Scottish league is two years, meaning any possible move for the two women’s teams would not be imminent if talks did progress.