Messi reaches preliminary agreement to buy Spanish club Eldense
Messi bought Catalan side Cornellà in April.
Argentine football star Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority shareholder of Spanish second-tier club Eldense, the club said.
The deal would make Eldense the second Spanish club Messi has invested in after he bought Catalan side Cornellà in April, reports BBC Sport.
Eldense said the agreement covers the acquisition of shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, subject to legal and contractual procedures, due diligence and approval from Spain's National Sports Council.
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The Alicante-based club are currently 20th in La Liga 2 with two points from four matches. They parted ways with head coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.
Messi, 39, currently plays for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. He left Barcelona for Paris St-Germain in 2021 before joining Inter Miami in 2023.
Cornella, who plays in Spain's fifth tier, said in April that Messi's ownership strengthened his ties to Barcelona and his commitment to developing sport and local talent in Catalonia.
Messi moved to Spain from Argentina at the age of 13 and made his Barcelona first-team debut aged 17 in October 2004. He scored a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances before leaving the club in 2021.
Messi's former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo also owns a stake in a Spanish club. The Portuguese forward bought a 25% stake in Almeria in February.
