Marseille owner Frank McCourt would consider selling club if offer exceeds $1.2bn

According to La Provence, Olympique de Marseille owner Frank McCourt could consider selling the club if an offer exceeding $1.2bn (€1.015bn) were to arrive.

McCourt, who purchased the club in 2016 for €45m, has repeatedly insisted that OM are not for sale. However, the regional outlet claims that while the American businessman publicly rejects the idea of a sale, the message in the United States is slightly different, with the door potentially open to an extraordinary bid above the billion-dollar mark.

The report emerges just days after UEFA’s latest financial report for the 2024–25 season, which highlighted Marseille’s difficult financial situation. According to the governing body, OM recorded a pre-tax loss of €105m as of 30 June 2025. Only Tottenham Hotspur (€148m), Olympique Lyonnais (€196m), and Chelsea (€407m) posted larger losses across Europe.

McCourt has invested hundreds of millions of euros into the club since taking over and has consistently dismissed speculation about selling. Speaking in May 2024, he said: “The question of selling OM has become absurd. I have been answering it for eight years. The club is not for sale. I love OM.”

While maintaining that stance, McCourt has previously acknowledged that new investors or partners could be welcomed, provided they support the club’s stability and long-term development. According to La Provence, there have been approaches in recent years, but proposals worth several hundred million euros would not have allowed new investors significant influence over the club’s governance.

A valuation of $1.2bn would represent an extraordinary figure in the context of French football. For comparison, Olympique Lyonnais were sold to John Textor for more than $840m, while Chelsea changed ownership in 2022 for approximately €5bn.

According to Forbes, the most valuable clubs in world football remain far ahead, with Real Madrid valued at $6.75bn, Manchester United at $6.6bn, and Barcelona at $5.65bn.

For now, Marseille’s official position remains unchanged: the club is not on the market. But the report suggests that only a truly historic offer would be capable of testing McCourt’s resolve.

GFFN | George Boxall