Sergio Ramos’ $435M Sevilla Takeover – Doomed to Fail? | OneFootball

Sergio Ramos is set to buy his childhood club. But before he was a legendary Blanco known for his clutch moments in Madrid, he was a young, lanky, long-haired kid who donned a different shade of white. Now he plans to go back to where it all began.

The former Real Madrid captain is leading a consortium that has formally entered a process to acquire Sevilla FC. The club where his professional career began and where his identity as a player was forged.

The Backstory

According to reporting from The Athletic, Sergio Ramos submitted a letter of intent earlier this month to buy the club. This triggered a three-month exclusivity window in which his team will conduct full financial and legal due diligence before deciding whether to complete the takeover. The proposed valuation of the deal is believed to be around $435M, although the final figure remains dependent on the outcome of the audit process. The outcome hinges on the true scale of Sevilla’s debt, which club sources estimate could reach approximately $196M. An external audit has been commissioned to clarify the club’s financial exposure, and its findings will heavily influence whether Ramos’s group proceeds.

The Sevilla Problem

The Athletic reports that Sevilla’s financial deterioration in recent seasons has accelerated the push toward a sale. The club recorded losses of approximately $89 million in the 2023/24 financial year and secured a loan worth roughly $118 million in March 2024, arranged through Goldman Sachs.

Sevilla Fútbol ClubFounded: 1890League: La Liga

The takeover process by Sergio Ramos itself has already seen turbulence. A separate U.S. investment group previously entered exclusivity talks last year but ultimately withdrew.

Ownership of Sevilla is fragmented across multiple groups and families. The Del Nido family holds approximately 24 percent of the shares, with Sevillistas de Nervión controlling around 22 percent. Former club president Rafael Carrión owns roughly 15 percent, as does Sevillistas Unidos 2020. Any takeover by Sergio Ramos and his team requires careful coordination across these blocs, making consensus a crucial factor in the deal’s success.

The Hero Of Seville

Sergio Ramos made his first team debut for Sevilla in February 2004 before earning a high profile move to Real Madrid. There, he built one of the most decorated defensive careers in soccer history. After sixteen years in Madrid and two seasons at Paris Saint Germain, he returned to Sevilla in 2023, adding a final chapter to his playing relationship with the club.

Across his two spells, Sergio Ramos made 87 appearances for Sevilla. He is currently a free agent after leaving Mexican side Monterrey in December. At 39 years old, his playing future remains open, and a player owner scenario at Sevilla remains possible.

While Sergio Ramos is the figurehead of the bid, he is not expected to be the largest financial contributor. Instead, he is spearheading the project as its public face and strategic driver. Ramos traveled to Seville earlier this month alongside his legal team to meet directly with several shareholders, reinforcing the seriousness of his involvement and the advanced stage of negotiations.

The Ones Before Sergio Ramos

Should the takeover proceed, Sergio Ramos would join a growing group of elite players who have transitioned into ownership roles. Unlike minority investments seen elsewhere, this move would place him at the center of a full club acquisition within one of Europe’s major leagues.

Luka Modrić and Swansea

In 2025, Luka Modrić became a minority shareholder in Swansea City, joining an existing ownership group while remaining an active player.

His role was never positioned as operational or strategic leadership. Instead, Modrić’s involvement functioned primarily as a symbolic and commercial asset, adding credibility and visibility to a Championship club navigating financial sustainability challenges after years outside the Premier League.

Swansea City AFC

The practical impact has been modest. Swansea have remained competitively stable but without a clear upward trajectory. Modrić’s stake didn’t really do much in a sporting sense for Swansea, as it did more in a PR sense.

Kylian Mbappé and SM Caen

Mbappé’s acquisition of a majority stake in SM Caen represents a different strategic approach. Caen operates within Ligue 2’s developmental ecosystem. Mbappé’s stake focuses on youth pathways, asset creation, and long term valuation growth.

Stade Malherbe Caen

Mbappé’s involvement positions the club as a developmental platform rather than a glamour project – very different from Ramos’ move. Early indicators suggest stability rather than acceleration. The star name attached to the club certainly helps visibility in the market, but it also prioritizes patience, infrastructure, and controlled ambition.

Ronaldo and Real Valladolid

Ronaldo’s purchase of a controlling stake in Real Valladolid in 2018 was initially framed as a visionary project. The Brazilian icon promised modernization, international expansion, and sporting stability. However, Valladolid experienced repeated promotion and relegation cycles, becoming a yo-yo club in Spain. Furthermore, it also faced operational instability and increasing supporter frustration over strategic direction and investment inconsistency.

While Ronaldo did succeed in raising the club’s global profile and commercial appeal solely based on his name, on field sustainability remained poor. The terrible squad planning and coaching continuity frustrated everyone. Fan relations deteriorated as expectations diverged from outcomes.

Ronaldo ultimately sold his stake in 2025, exiting a project that never fully got off the ground the way he would have liked.

The Valladolid case shows that celebrity ownership alone cannot offset weak institutional systems or misaligned sporting governance. Reputation comes with larger expectations. For Sergio Ramos, whose emotional connection to Sevilla runs deeper than Ronaldo’s attachment to Valladolid, the reputational stakes may be even higher.

Will It Work Out for Sergio Ramos?

The three cases outline a spectrum of outcomes.

Sevilla is neither a low risk development club nor a passive investment team. It is a somewhat fallen giant with financial strain, fragmented ownership politics, and a demanding supporter base. The romantic appeal of a legend saving his boyhood club resonates deeply in soccer culture. History, however, suggests emotional alignment alone does not guarantee operational success.