FC Nantes takeover: Saint-Étienne precedent raises doubts over Paulo Tavares

A preliminary agreement estimated at nearly €70 million could bring Portuguese agent Paulo Tavares closer to taking over FC Nantes from Waldemar Kita. But before the operation is validated, the DNCG will have to examine the financial guarantees of the future owner — and a recent precedent is already fueling doubts.

Paulo Tavares had indeed attempted to buy AS Saint-Étienne between 2023 and 2024. According to Joss Randall, an ASSE specialist, the deal came to a halt in March 2024 when it came time to present the funds. “Tavares is a nice guy and has a big network, but as soon as we reach the stage where funds need to be presented, it blocks,” he said. He noted that while Roland Romeyer was willing to be convinced, Bernard Caïazzo had identified “a real risk regarding the ability to produce the funds”.

Randall was also surprised by the amounts mentioned in the Nantes deal. “What is most striking is the amount mentioned,” he added, without elaborating further — a remark that, in this context, is hardly without resonance.

The DNCG thus finds itself at the heart of the matter. French football’s financial watchdog will have to ensure that the funds are genuinely available and that the project guarantees the club’s sustainability. If the guarantees prove insufficient, the takeover could meet the same fate as in Saint-Étienne. For Nantes supporters hoping to turn the page on the Kita era, the verdict of this examination will be decisive.