Poirier signals interest as Montréal owners explore options
Quebec property entrepreneur Luc Poirier has expressed conditional interest in buying CF Montréal amid reports that the Saputo family has approached potential local investors about the MLS club.
Quebec real estate entrepreneur Luc Poirier would consider buying CF Montréal if the price and financial position were acceptable, as reports suggest the Saputo family is testing local appetite for an investment.Poirier has not submitted an offer, while neither the family nor the club has confirmed a formal sale process or whether any transaction would involve control or a minority stake.Asked about a potential acquisition, Poirier told journalist Pierre-Olivier Zappa: “If the price is right, I could at least look at it.”His interest is conditional on reviewing the club’s accounts, placing his comments at an exploratory stage rather than signalling an active bid.The remarks followed his attendance at Stade Saputo on October 24 and preceded reporting that the owners had privately contacted wealthy Quebec businesspeople.Montréal radio journalist Jeremy Filosa reported that the family had considered publicly announcing its willingness to sell before choosing to approach potential investors discreetly.A full sale would end more than three decades of Saputo ownership, dating back to Joey Saputo’s founding of the Montréal Impact in 1992 and the club’s subsequent entry into MLS in 2012.The family has previously expressed its commitment to both the club and the city, despite earlier reports that investment options had been explored.Sportico’s February estimates valued CF Montréal at US$430m, the lowest among MLS’s 30 clubs and below a league average of US$767m.That represented a 4% decline from the previous year, although the estimate does not establish an asking price or the value at which any transaction might be agreed.The ownership discussions also come amid questions about how Montréal will accommodate MLS’s planned calendar change, given the challenges of staging matches during Quebec’s winter.Potential solutions include scheduling more home fixtures in suitable weather, extended periods playing away and access to an upgraded Olympic Stadium.During a June visit, MLS commissioner Don Garber encouraged government support for Olympic Stadium renovations as a way to strengthen the club’s venue options.The timing of those improvements and the terms of any future stadium arrangement remain important considerations for a prospective investor assessing the business.Poirier’s reported interest offers the possibility of local ownership, but there is no confirmed acquisition proposal, agreement or relocation decision.The next substantive step would be for that interest to develop into financial due diligence and discussions over the stake available, with the Saputo family’s intentions still to be formally clarified.