Girondins de Bordeaux owner Gérard Lopez has admitted that his Chelsea counterpart Todd Boehly is interested in investing in the club, but says he still 'wants to be part of the journey'.
Bordeaux are one of the most successful teams in French football history, crowned Ligue 1 Uber Eats champions six times, most recently under Laurent Blanc in 2009.
But they fell on hard times last season, suffering relegation to Ligue 2 BKT, although they are now up to second behind Le Havre AC as they plot an immediate return.
Boehly replaced Roman Abramovich as Chelsea owner last May, meanwhile, and the American billionaire has been looking at a number of French clubs to invest in since, one of which has been Bordeaux.
"We've had discussions for a while and some are still ongoing," Lopez told L'Equipe. "[Although] a dozen investors have contacted me in the last year.
"We know that the investment funds that are in Chelsea and other investors in English football are watching a lot of French clubs. We were among them but there were a lot of options.
"If there is an investor who comes in, we'll have to make room. But it's my club, I'd like to see it return to its rightful place and whatever happens, I want to be part of the journey."
France manager Didier Deschamps previously played for both Bordeaux and Chelsea, while the Blues currently have eight former Ligue 1 Uber Eats players in their ranks, including Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta.