Following several botched attempts with extravagant investors, increasingly serious offers appear to be emerging to invest in Spanish clubs. Talks between Getafe and a US investor are just one example. The biggest deal will involve Málaga, with a significant sponsorship agreement and the likely sale of the club to a Chinese investor.

The deal has yet to be sealed, but negotiations are underway with the intermediary Double-Edged Sports, led by Wang Kangning. The figures on the table, in principle, would represent a good deal for the club: E20 million, as well as taking on their debts and guaranteeing their most urgent payments. In total, around E70 million. Málaga are by no means one of the most troubled clubs when it comes to debts. They currently owe just over E38 million, but payment is not due immediately.

It is worth remembering that Al Thani only paid E10 million to take control of the club. The sheikh is the key to the deal. He added E120 million in signings to his initial investment to get the team into the Champions League. That money is unrecoverable. Plans were afoot to meet on Monday, but that meeting has been put off until ten days' time.

For Wang Kangning, taking control of Málaga would represent a powerful stimulus for a country which has added football to the standard syllabus for over 280 million school children.