Malaga denies investment issues

Malaga has endured an unsettling northern summer with several senior players reporting the club for unpaid wages and other clubs claiming that payments for previous player transfers have not been met, fuelling speculation that Al-Thani had pulled the plug on his investment.

However, a statement on the club's website read: "Malaga Football Club has started a process of internal restructuring within the organisation to adapt to the standards of financial fair play and with the intention of guaranteeing the self-sufficiency and sustainability of the organisation.

"This process doesn't mean the current owners have refused any type of investment. This will involve some changes in the current organisational entity of the club and will make the organisation stronger in the future."

Earlier director of football Antonio Fernández indicated that he would be leaving the club with his responsibilities to be taken up by sporting secretary Alfonso Serrano.

The first casualty on the playing side meanwhile looks set to be Santi Cazorla as he missed training on Thursday morning amid reports he is on his way to Arsenal to seal a €20 million euros ($23.3 million) deal.

And Malaga captain Weligton admitted that more player sales are probably needed just to allow the club to clear enough of its debts to be able to play in the Primera Division this season.

He told Marca: "There are no secrets about the situation the club is in. We are in an awkward situation. Everyone expected more signings, more surprises, to continue being the team in fashion, but, for certain motives, including many we don't know, the money has stopped coming in.

"Everything is not lost. If we have to sell players to fix the problem then sell them and start again at zero. The club has to do what is necessary to solve the problem and it cannot wait.

"We cannot let the institution go down. If we have to sell players then we have to sell them and we can play with those that are left or those in the youth team."