Espanyol, in the hands of the American businessman who controls Burnley

Espanyol now has a new owner. The Velocity Sport Limited (VSL) group, with an English parent company but also American investors, is owned by businessman Alan Pace . According to the club, RASTAR Group , the business conglomerate controlled by Chen Yansheng and the majority shareholder of the Espanyol club since January 2016, will have a stake in VSL, meaning it will not completely separate itself from the Barcelona club.

Although the transaction figures have not been made public, it is speculated that the cost could be around €130 million. This also marks VSL's second foray into the world of football. Until now, only Burnley , the English club that recently sealed its return to the Premier League, was part of the company specializing in investments focused on sports and media.

The incorporation of Chinese capital into a company with American money is particularly curious in this case, given the open trade confrontation between the United States and the Asian giant that has erupted since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

two club models

As the club emphasized in an official statement, Espanyol and Burnley will be part of the same investment group, although each will be able to maintain its independence, thus allowing the coexistence of two historic club models that will act independently, even though both are supported by the same financial group.

RASTAR, on the other hand, will not completely disassociate itself from the blue and white club, but will become part of this investment conglomerate and will hold stakes in both entities. With this step, the Chinese-backed conglomerate believes it will strengthen both the sporting and financial structure of a team that managed to secure its permanence despite having been forced to strengthen at almost no cost, given its delicate situation in recent years.

Joan García 's departure to Barça, after paying his €25 million buyout clause, to which a further €1.3 million had to be added after adding the annual CPI, was, despite being a major blow to the Blanquiazul fans, a significant relief for their accounts.