Real Madrid striker ‘buys French club Caen for £16.9m’

July 30, 2024Trending News

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has agreed a £16.9m deal to become the majority owner of French second-tier side SM Caen, according to a report.

France captain Mbappe will not play domestic football in his homeland for the first time next season after leaving Paris St-Germain for Madrid in June, but the 25-year-old has strengthened his involvement in the French game by becoming the majority shareholder in the Normandy club, Le Parisien has said.

Mbappe will succeed American investment fund Oaktree, which bought 80 per cent of Caen’s shares in 2020, in a deal which will be completed within hours, the outlet added.

SM Caen: Mbappe to take over?

Pierre-Antoine Capton, the chairman of Caen’s supervisory board and the holder of the remainder of the shares, will reportedly be co-owner alongside Mbappe, who is said to be installing Ziad Hammoud, the chief executive of his image company, as president.

Hammoud is the former director of strategy and investments at beIN Media Group, whose owner, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is the president of PSG.

Caen are known to have closely tracked Mbappe as a child prodigy, approaching him to join them at around the same time as he toured Madrid’s facilities as an 11-year-old.

Le Parisien said Caen’s “charm offensive” had made them Mbappe’s preference at the time, with school support, a three-year trainee contract and a first professional deal said to have been in place.

The Vikings’ relegation from Ligue 1 in 2011/12 is thought to have hindered a deal, although they later returned to the top flight for five seasons until being relegated again in 2019.