Potential new Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has been told to 'cut his teeth' at The Stadium of Light before making a possible investment in French giants Marseille in the future, a report from a print edition of L'Equipe has claimed.

Reports emerged from The Guardian on Friday claiming that a consortium headed by 22-year-old Dreyfus has agreed a deal with current Sunderland owner Stewart Donal to take over the club.

Now, it seems as though the potential Sunderland buyer could be set for a role with Marseille further down the line.

According to the latest reports from France, Dreyfus' mother Margarita still holds a minority stake in Marseille, and has instructed her son to 'cut his teeth' at Sunderland, presumably with the view to making an investment in Marseille in the future.

 

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Indeed, it is thought that plenty of fans of the French club, who currently sit fourth in the French top-flight, are hopeful for the younger Dreyfus to invest in the club considerably at some point going forward.

As for the current takeover process with Sunderland, it is claimed that Dreyfus' consortium have now enetered an exclusivity period with regards to purchasing an 80% stake in the League One club from Donald, with a deal expected to be completed early next month.

The Verdict

You have to feel there will be some mixed feelings around Sunderland with regards to this.

On the one hand, you feel there will be some concern about the possibility of Dreyfus moving on from the club quickly, potentially leaving them to search for yet more investment, if he turns his attentions to Marseille in the not too distant future.

However, if Dreyfus eventually decides to split his focus between the two, then given the size of the French club and quality of players they possess, a link with Marseille could prove rather useful for the Black Cats.