Marseille (AFP)

The former president of the Toulon Rugby Club, Mourad Boudjellal, intends to file a plan to buy Olympique de Marseille with "investors from the Middle East", he confirmed to AFP on Friday.

"A project will be filed" with the American owner of OM, Frank McCourt, he explained, confirming comments made on the radio RMC.

The former Toulon leader is carrying a case with "funds from the Middle East, state and private, which come from oil, water, energy," he said on RMC.

The project is led by "a Franco-Tunisian businessman" who could be Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi, according to concordant sources.

"A private merchant bank is mandated to present the takeover offer to McCourt," added Boudjellal.

In the afternoon, OM or the McCourt clan had not yet reacted to AFP's requests.

According to concordant sources, the project would be based on Saudi funds which could be interested in buying the rival of Paris SG, held by Qatari funds, a country whose relationship with Saudi Arabia is conflicting.

- For 700 million euros -

According to these same sources, the figures put forward make you dizzy. The operation would relate to a total of 700 million euros broken down as follows: 300 M EUR for the buyout, 200 M EUR to "fill in the holes", according to a source, and 200 M EUR for the transfer window.

Hired to take over the presidency of the Sporting Club of Toulon (SCT), the football team from his hometown, relegated to National 2 (4th division), Boudjellal explained that he added a clause in this negotiation because he is engaged in the possible buyout of OM.

"I had to knock down my cards," he said.

Friday afternoon, Boudjellal therefore signed an agreement "under suspensive clause, subject to the consequences of his Marseille project", explained to AFP the owner of the SCT, Claude Joye.

"Today, he does not come, but if his project in Marseille fails, he will return with Toulon," said the boss of the Toulon club. If he joins us, fine, if he doesn't come, we will play the climb (in N1) without him. "

Boudjellal therefore has two irons in the fire, which "does not bother me," assured Joye. As for the betrayal of betrayal by Sporting supporters, who consider OM to be their great enemy, "it's up to him", commented the Toulon leader, adding that he believed that he "will be forgiven" if he takes finally the presidency of Sporting, after a possible failure of its plan to buy OM.

The name of Boudjellal had also circulated to buy Athlético Marseille, the second club in Marseille, finally relegated to Regional 2 (7th division).

At the head of the RCT, Boudjellal won three European rugby cups in a row and a Top 14, before ceding the club at the start of the year to the businessman Bernard Lemaître who criticized him for having left debts.

In Marseille, a previous takeover offer by a Saudi businessman had fizzled, still denied by OM and McCourt.

© 2020 AFP