There is a change of ownership moving through Nantes, still short of a signature but no longer looking like a distant rumour. Waldemar Kita is understood to be deep in talks over the sale of FC Nantes to a French-Portuguese investment group, with a deal potentially approaching €100 million.
The move
The proposed takeover has progressed beyond a basic letter of intent, with negotiations described as highly advanced. Portuguese former agent Paulo Tavares is involved in the process, acting as an intermediary and potentially as a leading figure in the prospective ownership project.
Kita, who bought Nantes for €10 million in 2007, is believed to want close to €100 million for the club. The Canaries are debt-free, and the gap between the family’s valuation and the prospective buyers’ offer is not thought to be substantial.
An earlier line of discussions had involved foreign investors prepared to offer between €30 million and €40 million, while the Kita family were said to be seeking €95 million. The French and Portuguese-backed proposal now appears to have moved ahead of the other possibilities.
- Waldemar Kita: FC Nantes owner since 2007.
- Franck Kita: deputy chief executive and part of the club’s current leadership.
- Paulo Tavares: Portuguese former agent involved in the proposed takeover.
Tavares has previously worked on major French-football deals, including helping bring Leonardo Jardim to Monaco. He has also been linked with unsuccessful attempted purchases of Valenciennes and Saint-Étienne in recent years.
Kita has made clear that he is prepared to step aside if the right buyer can demonstrate both financial strength and a credible plan for the club. “Today or tomorrow, perhaps it is time for me to hand over,” he said recently, while stressing that a buyer must be capable not merely of purchasing Nantes but of running it properly.
He also indicated that three serious offers had been received, but insisted there was no pressure to complete a rushed transaction. For the Kita family, the long-term security of the club remains the decisive condition.
The French season around it
The ownership discussions come after a bleak turn for an eight-time French champion. Nantes dropped into Ligue 2 in May, against a difficult economic backdrop for French football.
Interest in the club has circulated for several weeks, with British, American, Middle Eastern and French parties all previously mentioned as possible buyers. The French-Portuguese project now seems to be the one with the clearest route towards a deal.
For Nantes, a club with a heavy history and a bruised present, the scale of the prospective investment suggests the next chapter could be financed with serious intent. But until an agreement is completed, the sale remains a live negotiation rather than a finished handover.
