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La Liga club Espanyol, who are considered rivals for Catalan giants Barcelona, has been put up for sale by chairman Chen Yansheng. Chinese toy manufacturers Rastar Group have owned the Catalan club since 2016 and helped to bring serious interest in the Asian country with the signing of China international We Lei, who was immediately responsible for the club's highest shirt sales.
However, the owners have now decided to put up the club on sale and as per reports, PSG's Qatari owners are one of two potential buyers who have put in offers. The second in the queue is a group from North America. Radio Marca has reported that QSI fronted by Nasser Al-Khelaifi is eager to take over the La Liga club.
Qatar Sports Investments have now been owners of PSG for over a decade having purchased the French side back in 2011. They have since then dominated French football and have won eight of the last ten Ligue 1 titles. This impressive show has brought an overwhelming influx of funds that have allowed them to buy a slew of world-class players. And now the owners are exploring other options.
PSG have been previously linked with Serie A side Roma and Portuguese outfit Braga as they look for expansion in European football. It seems, PSG are looking to follow the path of Manchester City's owners Abu Dhabi United Group, who have set up a network of clubs across the world. However, the move to acquire Espaynol would bring difficulty given UEFA's rules. The biggest complexity being Espaynol’s participation in UEFA competition after being acquired by QSI.
Meanwhile, for the Catalan club, things have been offshore for a while. The Blanquiazules were in the Europa League two years back but finished 14th last term and recently got rid of their CEO, sporting director and manager.