FC Nantes sale remains unresolved after three offers

FC Nantes remains under the ownership of the Kita family despite three takeover proposals now being considered. No agreement has been signed, leaving Waldemar Kita in charge as discussions continue over the club’s future.

The main obstacle is the valuation. The offer linked to Paulo Tavares is reported to be below €50 million, while the Kita family is seeking about €95 million. That difference of several tens of millions has prevented the leading proposal from being completed. Kita bought Nantes for roughly €10 million in 2007, making the asking price a potentially substantial increase on his original investment.

The interested parties include a Middle Eastern investor, a US fund and a group of French investors. The project built around Tavares, with French and Portuguese backers, is viewed as the most advanced. Its possible post-Kita structure has already included discussion of former Brazil international Marcelo taking an ambassadorial role.

The situation marks a change in Kita’s position after almost two decades at Nantes. He had previously maintained uncertainty around a sale but has now acknowledged having proposals and shown greater openness to leaving. Nantes’ relegation to Ligue 2 has also intensified the club’s period of reassessment. The sale appears more credible than before, but remains dependent on an agreement over price and a signed deal.