Madrid’s Secret Play: Real Madrid Helps Liverpool Eye a Spanish Powerhouse

Context and Key Players

With a quiet nudge from Real Madrid, Liverpool’s owners are edging closer to a potential acquisition of Getafe, the Spanish club that could become part of a larger European portfolio.

According to The Daily Mail, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has completed the financial and legal due diligence on Getafe as part of evaluating a possible takeover. This marks a notable shift in strategy for a club that has spent years plotting growth through collaboration and acquisition.

The development comes as Fenway marks 15 years since taking charge at Liverpool, a period that has seen ambitious plans grow from revival to expansion. The current move underscores a broader appetite to own and operate multiple European clubs alongside the Reds.

The report highlights a wider trend of Premier League owners creating networks of connected clubs, including City Football Group (Manchester City), BlueCo (Chelsea) and Manchester United’s tie-up with Nice via INEOS. The idea is to build a family of clubs that can share knowledge, players, and resources.

Liverpool’s owners had previously explored purchasing Toulouse in 2024, but that deal did not progress. The latest development keeps Getafe in the spotlight as a potential acquisition target for a planned network expansion.

FSG has entrusted Michael Edwards and Julian Ward, the club’s former sporting directors, along with Pedro Marques, with identifying suitable targets and shaping the strategy for any future moves.

More than 20 European clubs were reportedly reviewed as potential targets, with Getafe emerging after informal discussions between Jose Angel Sanchez, Getafe’s chief executive, and Angel Torres, the club’s president. The exploration underscores a methodical approach to portfolio expansion rather than a sudden, impulsive purchase.

Getafe currently sits seventh in La Liga with 11 points, a position that could be appealing for investors seeking a club with growth potential and a manageable platform for collaboration with larger partners.

If the move advances, industry insiders suggest the transaction could be straightforward, given FSG’s familiarity with the Getafe file and the broader network’s experience in multi-club ownership models. The deal would align with a strategy of leveraging cross-club synergies rather than a simple one-off purchase.

Getafe has been owned by Angel Torres since 2002, a tenure that has helped shape the club’s identity and growth trajectory in Spanish football.

Liverpool currently leads the Premier League table this season with 15 points after six games, having won the first five fixtures before a 1-2 loss at Crystal Palace. The squad, under the guidance of coach Arne Slot, aims to defend the domestic title and push deeper in Europe’s premier club competition.

Liverpool are preparing to face Galatasaray in Istanbul in the upcoming Champions League group-stage fixture, a test that could inform how committed the club is to a broader European project linked with Getafe.

Mohamed Salah, the club’s star forward, aged 33, recently extended his contract through 2027, reinforcing Liverpool’s intent to balance short-term success with long-term strategy amid a changing ownership landscape.

Klopp’s departure from the day-to-day coaching role and the ensuing transition to Arne Slot have been framed by some as part of Liverpool’s adaptation to a multi-club ecosystem—an approach that could redefine how the club recruits, develops, and monetizes talent.

In summary, the potential Getafe move sits at the intersection of tradition and modern multi-club ownership, highlighting how big European clubs are rethinking growth in a global market where cross-border alliances are increasingly common.

Punchline time: If football deals were as fast as Salah’s runs, this one would be sealed before the Manneken Pis could blink. And if the paperwork ever slows down, just remember: football is the only sport where a “plan” often comes with a season of delays, a few rumors, and a press conference where everyone smiles for the cameras—and then for the lawyers.

Punchline 2: In football, big moves are like precision sniping—calm, calculated, and occasionally blocked by someone asking, “But what about the transfer window?”