The rumor of the takeover of Olympique de Marseille by Saudi Arabia has just been revived.
This is news that should turn Marseille upside down. After a long period of trial and error and delayed initiatives, the Saudi royal family has finally decided to take action regarding the takeover of OM.
OM could change ownership in 2024
According to information published in the daily Sport, the Saudis plan to submit an official proposal in June 2024. And it would be around 300M€. An amount that is enough to shake the current owner Franck McCourt, especially since the club’s finances are not at their best.
With a national championship that has become very competitive, following the recruitment of many stars from all over Europe, the Kingdom plans to move up a gear in order to become a major player in world football. And that includes acquiring a major club. Marseille emerges as an ideal option, given the passion the club generates and also its popularity.
The takeover of OM would even have been the subject of a discussion between Mohamed Ben Salmane, the crown prince, and Emmanuel Macron during a meeting at the Elysée. Since the President of the Republic is a big fan of the Marseille team, the conversation in question must have been very serious. Perhaps in the same tone as that which Nicolas Sarkozy and Sheikh Tamim of Qatar had before the takeover of PSG by Qatar in 2011.