Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are exploring a deal to acquire Spanish second-division club Malaga CF. A club with a big history in Spain, Malaga CF is not going through its best sporting moment after the 2018 relegation from La Liga.
According to the British press, this would be a move that could help ‘The Reds’ navigate post-Brexit regulations that restrict English clubs from signing under-18 players from abroad.
FSG, an American conglomerate, has been actively searching for football clubs in Europe for some time. The idea is to be part of a multi-club model, similar to Manchester City’s ownership of Girona. If the deal with Malaga CF goes on, Liverpool will gain an important advantage in player development.
Implemented in 2021, Brexit rules prohibit English clubs from signing international players under the age of 18. This regulation has made it harder for Premier League teams to sign young talents from abroad. But with Malaga CF as a feeder club, Liverpool could recruit promising youngsters and develop them inside Spain. Later, once they turn 18, they could bring them to England.
However, FSG does not have an easy task in purchasing Malaga CF. PSG owners, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), had expressed interest in purchasing the Costa del Sol club. If FSG manages to outbid PSG owners, Liverpool could establish a foothold in Spanish football and secure a long-term strategy for navigating Brexit’s impact on player recruitment.
Read here more news from Costa del Sol.
