A long chapter at FC Nantes appears to be nearing its final page. The Kita family have reportedly agreed to sell the club, with a takeover led by entrepreneur and sports adviser Paulo Tavares moving towards the final approval stages.
The proposed deal was signed on Tuesday in the form of a sale agreement, bringing an end in sight to Waldemar Kita’s 19-year ownership of the Canaries. Nantes were bought by Kita in 2007, and the club could now be set for a change of control after nearly two decades under the same family.
Tavares is leading the prospective ownership group through Phenix Sports Invest, an arm of Luxembourg-based Phenix Capital. The investment vehicle is expected to bring together backers from France, Portugal and Luxembourg, with the stated aim of establishing a new development model at La Beaujoire.
The transaction is estimated at close to €100 million, excluding potential add-ons. It remains subject to consultation with the club’s works council and examination by the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog. DNCG clearance would represent the key remaining step before the takeover can be completed.
The advanced state of the process suggests that the Kita family have received substantial assurances from the incoming consortium before agreeing to relinquish control. For Nantes, a club with a powerful identity and a demanding history, the prospect is of a new era rather than merely a change of names in the boardroom.
Tavares has previously been linked with attempted takeovers at Valenciennes and Saint-Étienne, neither of which came to fruition. His Nantes project, however, now appears closer than those earlier discussions ever became, pending the required financial and internal consultations.
