Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has been accused of double standards over his proposal to let Premier League B teams join the EFL.
Soriano suggested such a restructuring of the football pyramid would safeguard lower league clubs and stop the flow of home-grown talent to the continent.
The City chief claimed too many players at 17 and 18 are poached by clubs abroad and said the addition of B teams to the EFL would be one way of solving the problem.
But Carol Shanahan, owner of League Two Port Vale, hit back at Soriano, accusing Premier League clubs like City of poaching the very best talent from lower league clubs themselves.
Shanahan also said more clubs could go the same way as Bury and Macclesfield, and find themselves going bust, if B teams were allowed to play in the EFL.
“I saw what he said and I was fairly shocked,” said Shanahan.
“The EFL have been against the introduction of B teams and I would be vehemently against it. It could lead to clubs going out of business.
“The Premier League teams already scout our academies all the time and take all the pickings they can.
“By doing that, they don't make life easier for the lower league clubs, that's for sure. The top half of the Premier League, in particular, have got such a stranglehold on youth.
“We still have scouts from City, Manchester United and Liverpool at our games. We're the prey.
“They talk to a young player's parents, they paint a dream, we get around £70,0000 and off they go.”
City hosted Port Vale in the FA Cup in January, with Shanahan revealing the experience brought home the huge gulf between the top-flight and League Two.
“They treated us very well, but in chatting to them it was obvious we come from completely different angles,” said Shanahan.
“They own so many clubs around the world, they can push players out on loan to them and accommodate themselves.
“They've just spent £65million on one player. That would be enough to run League Two for a season – and that's not including his wages.
“We're living at a time when we're really struggling, as lower league clubs.
“Unlike the top clubs, we don't have any reliance on media money. All our income comes from the gate.”
