Mbappe 'set to buy £17m French side' - to become one of youngest club owners

Kylian Mbappe is reportedly set to become one of Europe's club owners with the Real Madrid star closing in on taking over French side SM Caen.

Mbappe left French club football this summer when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired last month.

The French superstar completed a free transfer to Real Madrid and was unveiled in front of 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this month.

Mbappe is expected to retain an interest in French domestic football with reports the striker is poised to complete a £17m (€20m) deal to buy French second division side SM Caen.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that talks have been ongoing for several weeks, with an agreement expected to be concluded 'in the coming hours'.

The deal would reportedly see Mbappe buy out the American investment fund Oaktree Capital, which bought an 80 per cent stake in the club in 2020.

Mbappe would become the club’s majority shareholder, with current supervisory board chairman Pierre Antoine Capton retaining his 20 per cent stake.

Oaktree Capital are expected to focus their efforts on Inter Milan after taking control of the club in May.

Should Mbappe complete the deal, he would become the owner of the second tier French side at just 25.

Caen scout David Lasry revealed in a BBC documentary that the club had come close to signing Mbappe when the forward was just 13.

Mbappe's father had reportedly confirmed they had agreed for their son to join the club, who are based in Normandy.

The deal, however, collapsed when Caen were relegated from Ligue 1 to the second tier in 2012.

Mbappe would instead join Monaco's academy, with the forward later breaking into the first-team set-up before joining PSG.

Le Parisien reported that Mbappe and his family have retained a good relationship with the Caen leading to a deal being pursued.

Mbappe and his mother Fayza Lamari reportedly plan to appoint Ziad Hammoud as president of the club when the takeover is completed.

Hammoud was previously the director of strategy and investments at the BeIN Media Group, and now oversees Mbappe’s image company.

Reports in French claim Mbappe plans to maintain the club's identity, with a focus on developing young players.

Caen finished fifth in Ligue 2 last season, with the club having last featured in the top flight of French football back in the 2018-19 campaign.