Wolverhampton Wanderers’ owners want a stake in Belgian club Oostende, talks opened

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ owners have opened talks over a buying stake in Belgian club KV Oostende, reports the Guardian.

The club owners Fosun want to expand their portfolio of football clubs in Europe.

They attempted to buy the defunct Spanish third-tier club FC Jumilla back in 2019.

Fosun officials have met representatives from Oostende’s owners Pacific Media Group today.

PMG want at least €10 million from suitors keen on investing in the club.

Oostende are currently fighting for relegation in the Belgian Pro League.

They are 16th in the 18-club league with four games left in the season.

The Versluys Arena club risk relegation, but that is unlikely to affect talks between Fosun and PMG.

They were bought in 2020 from Marc Coucke after their professional license was withdrawn because of debts.

There are fears history could repeat itself if a buyer is not found quickly.

Wolves are currently fighting against relegation in the Premier League.

They are 13th in the table after 28 games, but just three points separate them from the drop zone.

Establishing a multi-club partnership with the De Kustboys will help the Midlands club work around work permit issues.

Post-Brexit rules have made it difficult for plenty of non-English young players to secure work permits upon completing moves to the Premier League.

There are not plenty of restrictions in Belgium, and Wolves can buy youngsters and loan them to Oostende for a couple of seasons.

The Belgian club’s owners have stakes in Barnsley, Nancy and Kaiserslautern.

Buying part of Oostende could further boost Fosun’s chances of extending their reach across more countries.