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Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have reportedly completed "due diligence" regarding a potential takeover of the Spanish club Getafe.
FSG has long been considering a move towards a multi-club model, which would be headed up by CEO of football Michael Edwards. Manchester City and Chelsea are among the rivals of Liverpool to be involved in a soccer network, which can bring advantages such as sharing resources and players.
Toulouse and Malaga have been looked at in the past. Now, the Daily Mail reports that Getafe could be the option that FSG moves forward with after being connected by city rival Real Madrid's CEO, Jose Angel Sanchez.
There is no confirmation at this stage regarding how much a move for Getafe would cost. However, the Spanish side could be a good value option with plenty of scope for development.
Earlier this year, Getafe president Angel Torres insisted that he would not be selling the club.
“I've been here for 25 years, and every year a journalist comes out saying something... And now it's Liverpool," he told COPE. "But it's not for sale. One day I'll have to leave. But it's a long way off."
According to a report in The Athletic, Levante, Elche, Espanyol, and Real Valladolid have also been considered by FSG.
In a statement released in June, a spokesperson for Liverpool’s majority shareholders said: "FSG routinely engages in conversations and evaluates opportunities across global sports, a common process to assess ventures that align with the organization's strategic priorities."
If or when Liverpool does acquire another club, it could be a way of getting around the post-Brexit difficulties in the transfer market. With what could essentially become something of a feeder club, players could still be brought into the group even if the chance to bring them to Anfield immediately is now gone.
When Stefan Bajcetic was signed as a 16-year-old from Celta Vigo, for instance, Liverpool had to rush through that deal before the Brexit rules changes in order for it to be allowed.
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It would no longer be possible, but the next Bajcetic could be signed by a club owned by Liverpool’s owners in another European country, and then moved across when they have accumulated enough experience to be given a work permit.
Additionally, plenty of clubs believe that the current loan system doesn’t always work optimally. A player might go and not get minutes (something Liverpool has tried to combat with financial penalties being including in loan arrangements if a player doesn’t get enough time on the pitch) but even if they play, it might not be in the same formation or tactics.
For instance, Harvey Elliott was on loan at Blackburn one season and Leighton Clarkson the next. Even under the same manager at the same club, the tactics changed and it wasn’t such a good fit for the latter.
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