Kylian Mbappe is reportedly on the verge of becoming a football club owner in his home country, with the Real Madrid star nearing a deal to take over Ligue 2 side SM Caen.
Mbappe left France this summer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. He then completed his high-profile move to Real Madrid on a free transfer, where he was introduced to 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this month.
Despite his departure from Ligue 1, Mbappe appears keen to stay connected to French football. Reports indicate that he is close to finalizing a €20 million ($21.6m) purchase of SM Caen, a second-division club.
Caen finished fifth in Ligue 2 last season, last playing in Ligue 1 during the 2018/19 season.
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Mi nueva casa. ¡Hala Madrid! 🏟️😍😃 @realmadrid pic.twitter.com/2XWvNTgNqQ
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 17, 2024
According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, negotiations have been ongoing for weeks and an agreement is expected soon.
The deal would see Mbappe acquire a majority stake from the American investment fund Oaktree Capital, which has held an 80% share since 2020.
Pierre Antoine Capton, the current chairman of the supervisory board, is expected to retain his 20% stake.
Oaktree Capital, meanwhile, is shifting its focus to Inter Milan, which they recently took control of. If the deal goes through, Mbappe would become the owner of SM Caen at just 25 years old.
Why would Mbappe care about Caen? Well, they nearly signed him when Mbappe was just 13. His father had agreed to the move, but the deal fell apart when Caen were relegated from Ligue 1 in 2012, leading Mbappe to join Monaco instead.
The report also mentioned that Mbappe and his family have kept a good relationship with Caen, paving the way for this takeover.
They plan to appoint Ziad Hammoud, formerly of BeIN Media Group and current manager of Mbappe’s image company, as the club president.
Mbappe intends to focus on youth development while helping preserve the club's identity.
