Burnley owner J.J Watt buys stake in La Liga side Espanyol

J.J Watt and  the ownership group behind Premier League side Burnley, led by American businessman Alan Pace, has reached an agreement to take over Spanish club Espanyol.

The deal will see Velocity Sports Limited (VSL), the sports division of Pace’s ALK Capital investment firm, become the majority shareholder at Espanyol.

Chinese conglomerate Rastar Group, which has owned the Catalan side since 2015, will retain a role in the club’s structure, remaining involved through the new investment setup.

As part of the arrangement, Burnley minority investor and former NFL star J.J. Watt is also set to be involved in Espanyol’s operations.

Espanyol released a statement outlining the nature of the agreement: “With this deal, Espanyol and Burnley will be part of this investment group, which expands its interests by having a club in LaLiga and another in the Premier League – although each will remain independent.”

The club added that the “business integration formula allows for the coexistence of two historic clubs that will operate independently, although they will be supported by the same financial group.”

While the agreement has been reached, Espanyol noted that the deal remains “pending officialisation and completion until all administrative procedures are formalised.”

COMUNICAT OFICIAL #RCDE

— RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (@RCDEspanyol) July 14, 2025

This acquisition marks the latest move in the growing trend of multiclub ownership in global football. The City Football Group – owners of Manchester City – currently controls 13 clubs worldwide, including LaLiga side Girona.

Other Premier League clubs such as Aston Villa, Brentford, and Crystal Palace also have stakeholders with cross-club interests.

However, multiclub ownership has recently presented challenges. Earlier this month, Crystal Palace were relegated from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League due to shared ownership ties with French club Lyon, who will compete in the Europa League.

Espanyol, under Rastar’s ownership since 2015, have endured an up-and-down decade, with two relegations from LaLiga. Most recently, the club returned to the top flight in 2024 and successfully avoided the drop last season.

The statement from Espanyol clarified that Rastar will now form part of the “investment vehicle that will have stakes in both clubs,” working alongside ALK Capital.

Burnley, meanwhile, were acquired by ALK Capital at the end of 2020. Since then, the club has also experienced two relegations from the Premier League. However, they returned to the top division last season after earning promotion from the Championship. Under new manager Scott Parker, the Clarets finished second behind Leeds United.