It goes on behind the scenes for Olympique de Marseille. Mourad Boudjellal has confirmed to Agence France-Presse his intention to file a plan to buy the club from its current owner, the American Frank McCourt. The former president of the Toulon rugby club carries a case with “funds from the Middle East, state and private, and which come from oil, water, energy,” he said. he explained on RMC.
The project is supported by “a Franco-Tunisian businessman” who could be Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi, according to concordant sources. “A private merchant bank is mandated to present the takeover offer to McCourt,” added Boudjellal. At the beginning of the afternoon, OM had not yet reacted to requests from Agence France-Presse like the McCourt clan, which is subject to the time difference between France and the United States.
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200 million euros for the transfer window?
According to concordant sources, the project would be based on Saudi funds, which could be interested in buying the rival of Paris SG, held by Qatari funds, a country in conflicting relations with Saudi Arabia. According to these same sources, the figures put forward make you dizzy. The operation would relate to a total of 700 million euros broken down as follows: 300 million euros for the buyout, 200 million euros to “fill in the holes”, according to a source, and 200 million euros for the transfer window .
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Hired to take over the presidency of Sporting Toulon, the football team from his hometown, relegated to National 2 (4e division), Boudjellal explained to have added a clause in this negotiation, because he is engaged in the possible repurchase of OM. “I had to knock down my cards,” he said. His name had also circulated to buy Athlético Marseille, the second club in Marseille, eventually relegated to Regional 2 (7e division).
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At the head of the RCT, Boudjellal won three European Rugby Cups in a row and a Top 14, before ceding the club at the beginning of the year to the businessman Bernard Lemaître, who criticized him for to have left debts. In Marseille, a previous takeover offer by a Saudi businessman had fizzled, still denied by OM and McCourt.
