Liverpool Owners FSG Exploring Deal to Purchase Malaga

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are casting their net wider and exploring a move that would see them purchase Spanish second-tier outfit Malaga, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, who revealed that a delegation visited the club in February.

FSG - who also own Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox - are looking to apply their expertise and know-how of football operations, as evidenced by their 15-year ownership of the Reds, to teams that they believe are suitable to their way of functioning.

Fenway Sports Group co-owns five different sports franchises. We list exactly which clubs they control and a bit of background about their ownership.

According to the report, FSG are looking to develop a multi-club model and, as alluded to earlier, a club representative was sent to visit Malaga's facilities last month to evaluate whether a potential acquisition could be on the cards, especially amid competition. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ornstein wrote:

"EXCL: Liverpool owners FSG exploring purchase of Spanish club Malaga. Initial focus to buy majority shareholder Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani's 51%. Delegation visited facilities in Feb to assess potential acquisition for multi-club model.

Inside the article itself, Ornstein has reported that FSG are weighing up all forms of investment into the once-brilliant club, though their main objective is to provide substantial financial aid in order to oversee a change in how the club operates on a day-to-day basis.

Reportedly, Liverpool's owners are under the assumption that they have the capacity to restore Malaga, who once competed in the 2012/13 Champions League quarter-finals, to Europe's top table and La Liga, which they finished bottom of at the end of the 2017/18 season. They are, of course, yet to return.

In terms of their interest in Malaga, the report states that FSG are hoping to go down the route of acquiring the stake of the club's majority shareholder Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, who currently owns just over half - 51 per cent, to be precise - of Los Boquerones, who spent last term in Spain's third tier.

The other 49 per cent is owned by Spanish hotel and real estate group Blue Bay and FSG's interest comes amid the club being in a bit of financial bother, including a state of administration and under judicial control. That hasn't prevented Paris Saint Germain's owners, Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), from also making their interest in investing in Malaga known.

As things stand, Malaga are seven points adrift of the relegation zone and nine points behind a potential play-off spot. Elsewhere, Liverpool are cruising at the top of the Premier League table but do risk losing the key trio of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on free transfers.