Sergio Ramos Emerges as Potential Buyer for Sevilla FC

Sergio Ramos’s emergence as a prospective buyer for Sevilla Football Club is gradually taking shape. The player, who is a product of the Sevilla youth academy and has achieved success with Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, is reportedly spearheading a group of foreign investors that has offered around €400 million to acquire the club’s ownership, according to reports from The Athletic.

Having returned to Sevilla for the 2023-24 season after concluding his stint with Rayados de Monterrey in Mexico’s league, Ramos is not expected to be the primary investor in this venture. Instead, he is positioned as the public face of the acquisition, which involves a U.S.-based investment fund. The proposal aims for the acquisition of 100% of Sevilla’s share capital, contingent upon a specific valuation of the club’s current debt, which is pending an external audit.

The main uncertainty, as highlighted by The Athletic, revolves around the valuation of the loan provided by CVC Capital Partners to most LaLiga clubs in 2021, including Sevilla, and whether this will be classified as debt. While the club, along with the league, contends that this participatory loan should not be considered part of the debt, any contrary assessment could significantly impact the total purchase offer. Ramos’s proposal is one of three currently on the table, alongside a more substantial offer from other foreign investors that is on hold following due diligence, and the well-known Tercera Vía from Lappí and Quintero.

A critical aspect of Ramos’s offer is that the €400 million would be allocated to the club’s ‘business value,’ meaning it would not include an economic injection through capital increases to stabilize the financial situation and start anew. This factor could pose a challenge in negotiations, as Sevilla’s intent with the potential sale is to recover financial strength and swiftly return to competitive success.