The big money deals following Sergio Ramos to Sevilla

After 18 seasons away, Sergio Ramos is back in Sevilla colours, and his historic return has brought some welcome news for the Andalusian club and its loyal fans.

Though the star defender has been on an iconic journey between Real Madrid and PSG. He always had his heart set on a return to his junior club. So much so he even turned a deaf ear to the big money deals offered to him from Saudi Arabia.

According to Marca, Sergio Ramos would have rejected no less than 20 million ($21m US, 17.3m GBP) per season to join the ranks of Al-Ittihad (as well as 11m for Galatasaray of Turkey), but chose to return to his origins, signing for one season with the option of a second, until June 24, 2024 – for a token figure of one million euros.

It didn't sit well with Sevilla fans when Ramos, an illustrious youth player for all of them, packed his bags on his way to the Santiago Bernabéu to find a life away from the Andalusian capital at only 19 years old...

Just as some of his statements, already dressed in the club's colours, did not sit well with the fans. In fact, even some of the more radical fans even published a letter against his incorporation into the team.

But given the sporting reality of Sevilla FC, a market opportunity like that of Sergio Ramos could not be missed. They needed to reinforce the central position in any way possible and... who better than a great player, a veteran with great experience and a Sevillista at heart like Sergio Ramos?

The few games they've played this season in La Liga have already proven the player and those who bet on his return right, since he has returned as a leader, carrying the team on his back whenever the injuries have spared him.

However, it seems that Sergio Ramos is not just good for club morale, but has also brought a lot of financial reinforcement for Sevilla FC.

With the acquisition of Ramos, Sevilla FC has also brought a whole new prospective international audience. The Spanish star, who is an advertising reference, well followed by the media and on social networks, where he has, for example, more than 61.3 million followers on Instagram and 20.3 million on X (formerly Twitter).

If we make a comparison, on Facebook, Sevilla FC has 4.2 million followers, compared to the center's 38. On Instagram, the club has 2.5 million followers, compared to more than 61.3 million and, finally, on Twitter, the Seville entity has 1.1 million followers, far from the more than 20 of Ramos.

And that image and that projection has already had its first repercussions in terms of sponsorships. Japanese firm Rakuten has set its sights on Sevilla FC to become its main sponsor soon, as announced by the BeSoccer website.

The Japanese giant Rakuten is the largest online store for internet sales in the Asian country, with no less than 50 million registered users, which demonstrates its size and the economic possibilities it could mean for Sevilla FC (as it already did with FC Barcelona).

According to the same information, Sevilla FC would be testing on several fronts to finally get a sponsor for its shirt, but Rakuten is the one that would be closest to getting it – interested in the club's projection in Europe and the significance of the arrival of a player like Sergio Ramos to their ranks.

But they aren't the only ones now interested in Sevilla FC thanks to their latest signing, because, apparently, as Estadio Deportivo de Sevilla tells it, the brand that sponsors Ramos on its boots, Mizuno, are also knocking.

Mizuno have proposed taking over from the English firm Castore as the kit providers for Sevilla FC in exchange for a good handful of euros. A very interesting proposal for the Nervión club that would increase the value of its brand and help with the economic problems currently plaguing the club.

In just a few weeks, Sergio Ramos would have revolutionized the club he loves, both on the field and in the bank, if the negotiations with the two Japanese brands come to fruition.

But will there be more? Has Sergio Ramos brought any more bread under his arm? Time will tell as Ramos is a businessman through and through and likely has some ideas up his sleeve that are sure to benefit Sevilla.

Ramos has created a business empire away from football with several companies that are all in Spain and to which he has been dedicated for years with the idea of diversifying and making his assets profitable.

One of his best-known (and most profitable) businesses, according to Forbes, is Yeguada SR4, where he breeds horses and mares on a farm in the Sevillian town of Bollullos de la Mitación and where Álamo, a great thoroughbred champion, came from. blood valued at 1.5 million euros that Ramos sold in Saudi Arabia.

He also has his actions within the world of contemporary art, a hobby that he shares with his wife, the presenter Pilar Rubio. The couple have been acquiring works for years for what he has called the 'Sergio Ramos Collection' – which features works by Banksky, Alex Katz, Jian Genovés and Manolo Valdés.

The third of his big businesses is real estate, with the company Sermos 32 SL, with which Ramos has acquired numerous urban properties and land, mainly in Madrid, as is the case of the Los Berrocales development, which suffered significant losses due to the crisis, but has now taken flight again.

At the beginning of 2022, the Sevillian opened the doors of a luxurious gym in Madrid, ' Sergio Ramos by John Reed', a fitness space that has various areas that allow for boxing classes, running training and 'athletic flow' sessions, amongst others.

But there is more. Also in 2022, Ramos announced the launch of his own clothing brand (a la Cristiano Ronaldo), in his case sports fashion inspired by the 90s. To do this, he teamed up with Mizuno and lent his SR4 stud branding to the project.

"Excited to present my own collection of SR4 clothing with Mizuno. Taking inspiration from the 90s, we included a classic gaming t-shirt and a retro tracksuit, as well as a range of hoodies and casual t-shirts," Ramos wrote on his Instagram profile.

Image Credit: Instagram @sergioramos

The return of the prodigal son seems to have been accompanied by a major economic boon for the club, which will soon start seeing the fruits of. Watch this space!