Kylian Mbappé recently inked another huge deal after settling his five-year, $75 million contract with Real Madrid. The France captain recently bought an 80% stake in Ligue 2 side SM Caen for $22 million. Mbappé is one of the youngest owners of a European professional soccer club, weighing in at just 25 years old.
Mbappé will partner with French businessman and Caen shareholder Pierre-Antone Capton to own the club. Caen finished sixth in Ligue 2 last season and is expected to be a contender to claim promotion.
Caen is a historic French club with deep ties to the game’s history. Before becoming a professional club in 1985, Caen was known as one of France’s main, important amateur clubs. They dominated the scene with now-successful teams Nantes, Reims, and Le Havre. However, despite their winning DNA and consistent competitiveness, Caen struggled financially without major backing.
After Caen professionalized, their role as one of French football’s giants lessened. They were a yo-yo club, constantly bouncing between Ligue 1 and 2. They leaned on their successful academy to generate funds, producing players like Raphaël Guerreiro, William Gallas, and Elye Wahi. Despite the investment of American investment fund Oaktree Capital, Caen has toiled in Ligue 2 since 2019.
Mbappé nearly joined SM Caen in 2012 as a teenager. Caen was one of Mbappe’s first and most interested suitors, recognizing his potential as one of Ligue 1’s elite attackers. Mbappé’s parents viewed the club as a healthy environment for Mbappé to develop, but the deal fell through when Caen suffered relegation from the French top-flight league.
Per French newspaper Le Parisien, Mbappé wants to preserve Caen’s historical DNA rather than making drastic, big moves. CEO of Mbappé’s image company, Ziad Hammoud, will become the club’s president, with Mbappé expected to be away from Stade Michel d’Ornano for extended periods.
One of Mbappé’s first actions in charge of Caen was related to their transfer business. Caen hasn’t brought in any new players and could lose Ligue 1 top-scorer Alexandre Mendy to Sunderland.
However, Mbappé’s acquisition of Caen could lead Mendy to reverse his transfer plans. The Mbappé family is reportedly holding up the transfer so they can persuade him to stay in Caen. Mendy reportedly chose to join Sunderland over Sampdoria, Al-Riyadh, and Al-Ahly before Mbappé’s takeover and skipped Caen’s Switzerland training camp to finalize the deal.
Reports mention that rapper Orelsan is interested in purchasing some of Mbappé’s shares in Caen. Orelsan is a prominent French rapper who boasts two diamond-certified albums and has drawn comparisons to Eminem. He has repeatedly mentioned the club in his music and is a native of the city.
Mbappé’s prominent focus will be succeeding in his debut season with Real. He is searching for his first Champions League with a star-studded squad that will star Vinicius, Endrick, Jude Bellingham, and more attackers. He’s expected to miss Real’s preseason tour of the States but should debut for Los Blancos against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
