Liverpool Owners Eye Stunning La Liga Takeover in Secret Negotiations
Liverpool's ownership group Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are reportedly engaged in talks with Getafe president Ángel Torres regarding what would constitute a "phased acquisition" of the Spanish football club.
FSG's multi-club strategy has been evident since Michael Edwards, Liverpool's former renowned sporting director, returned last summer to assume the role of chief executive of football for the parent organization.
Upon Edwards' appointment to his current position, FSG president Mike Gordon stated in a staff email that securing another football club had been "previously identified" by the returning executive as a method to help "strengthen our overall structure and advance our competitive goals".
Edwards himself mentioned when his new position was revealed that the "dedication to purchase and manage an additional club" from FSG was among the "primary factors" in his choice to accept.
Following earlier interest in Bordeaux and Málaga that failed to materialize into anything concrete, The Athletic indicates that Getafe is "viewed as the optimal choice" due to FSG establishing a strong relationship with Torres. The 73-year-old entrepreneur has publicly rejected being prepared to sell the club, but this isn't believed to reflect the actual situation privately.
A total valuation of £100 million ($133.6 million) might be sufficient to trigger the acquisition.
Getafe, situated on Madrid's periphery, have established themselves as a consistent presence in La Liga following their inaugural promotion to Spain's premier division in 2004—two years after Torres purchased the club. They have spent just one campaign since then outside La Liga and have achieved seven upper-table finishes.
Multi-club ownership models within football have grown increasingly prevalent in recent years, with more Premier League teams linked to sister clubs through their respective parent organizations.
Manchester City serves as the primary club in the worldwide City Football Group, a collection of 17 CFG-owned teams spanning men's and women's football, plus four affiliated partners, across four continents. Chelsea owners BlueCo also operate Ligue 1's Strasbourg, while Manchester United shares certain connections with OGC Nice and Lausanne-Sport through minority stakeholder INEOS.
It was John Textor's ownership interests in both Lyon and Crystal Palace that resulted in the latter being relegated to next season's Conference League, due to an apparent violation of UEFA regulations concerning clubs with identical ownership competing in the same European tournament. The American entrepreneur has subsequently divested his Palace shares and the club is pursuing legal action to be restored to the Europa League.