Kylian Mbappe concludes £17m Caen takeover deal – what it could mean for Alexandre Mendy’s Sunderland transfer
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has completed a takeover of French second-division club Caen – which could impact Sunderland’s transfer business this summer
Interconnected Ventures, founded by Mbappe, has acquired the majority shares of Caen through its investment entity Coalition Capital.
Sunderland are said to have had several bids rejected for Caen striker Alexandre Mendy after the player decided on Wearside as his next destination and not Saudi Arabia. Reports have suggested that the Mbappe takeover is holding up Mendy’s move to Sunderland with the club’s new ownership now hoping to convince him to stay after buying the club for around £17million.
“This transaction marks a significant step in the club’s strategic development and reinforces its natural ambition to remain among the historic places in French football,” a club statement read.
“It is an incredible opportunity for Stade Malherbe Caen to be able to count on Coalition Capital for its development. Its values, commitments and extraordinary vision of sport are unique assets for this project.
“I thank Coalition Capital for their trust and I am very happy to be able to share this new cycle for the club with them. More than ever, the Stade Malherbe Caen project will live up to its history and its supporters.”
Mbappe was reportedly tracked by Caen for numerous years, but their relegation from Ligue 1 in 2012 ended the club’s chances of being able to secure his signature on schoolboy terms and he subsequently joined Monaco. Mbappe has now moved to Real Madrid in Spain after the summer’s European Championships.
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Sunderland Premier League transfer target omits himself from club’s pre-season tour
A Sunderland transfer target currently playing in the Premier League has omitted himself from his club’s pre-season tour.
Sunderland played their second-to-last pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening.
The Black Cats travelled to Valley Parade to face League Two Bradford City, losing the game 2-1 in a performance that’s received very mixed reviews from fans on social media.
Romaine Mundle was on the score-sheet for Sunderland who play their final pre-season game vs Marseille on Saturday.
Regis Le Bris‘ side have had a fairly turbulent summer and are still waiting on some new additions before their Championship opener away at Cardiff City on August 10th.
Sunderland have signed Ian Poveda to take their summer signing tally to three; Simon Moore and Alan Browne are the other two arrivals.
Sunderland are trying to sign a new striker and generally bolster their side with some star quality, with one name on their radar being Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
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Sunderland handed Jesurun Rak-Sakyi update at Crystal Palace
Rak-Sakyi, 21, has no shortage of suitors this summer, having been linked with the likes of Sunderland, Leeds United, Hull City, and QPR, with reports that at least 15 Championship clubs are interested in Rak-Sakyi at Place.
Southampton were looking to sign Rak-Sakyi on a permanent deal this summer, though it seems like the Saints are falling behind in that move.
Now, Alan Nixon is reporting on Patreon that Rak-Sakyi has opted to stay in the UK as his Crystal Palace teammates fly out to the US for part of their pre-season preparation.
Nixon describes the ‘surprise development’, stating that Rak-Sakyi has impressed Palace officials in pre-season and that the Eagles wanted him to stake a claim for a spot in the first-team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
