With a fortune estimated at 13.5 billion USD, the Nigerian entrepreneur Aliko Dangote is about to afford the Ligue 2 club in France, Valenciennes, formerly chaired by former minister Jean-Louis Borloo.
According to reports from the country, Valenciennes FC should soon be bought by Aliko Dangote, presented as the wealthiest businessman in Africa. The Nigerian tycoon would like to invest heavily in the Ligue 2 club in order to make it a major player in European football.
Valenciennes is preparing to switch to a new dimension. This is what the entrepreneur.fr website claims.
The Nigerian magnate is presented as the richest man in Africa by the American magazine Forbes.
His personal fortune is estimated at nearly 12.2 billion euros. According to the economic media, the 66-year-old investor has decided at the beginning of the month to embark on the takeover of VAFC, which currently occupies 15th place in Ligue 2, in the fight to maintain it.
Aliko Dangote ‘s strong relationship with France
Eddy Zdziech, the current president of Valenciennes (who owns around 60% of the capital), has put the club up for sale, which is experiencing significant financial difficulties. According to the same sources, Dangote would like to acquire 100% of its capital.
With his large network, Aliko has his entrances in France. François Hollande, then president, received him at the Élysée in 2016. His successor Emmanuel Macron also visited him in Lagos in 2018, before talking with him in Versailles the following year.
Dangote is also said to be close to former French ministers and could be in contact with Jean-Louis Borloo in his project to take over the VAFC.
The former Minister of Ecology was the president of the northern club between 1986 and 1991, then in 2014.
AfrikPage with entrepreneur.fr