Nantes hold on Karembeu

New Nantes coach Serge Le Dizet has hinted he may not sign Christian Karembeu.

Le Dizet has signed a two-and-a-half year contract after being confirmed as Loic Amisse's successor at Stade La Beaujoire-Louis-Fonteneau.

His first task is to lift the club away from the Ligue 1 drop zone, with Karembeu mooted as a recruit to help Les Canaris achieve that task.

Karembeu is keen to leave Swiss side Servette and Nantes were discussing the possibility of bringing the midfielder back to the club.

But Le Dizet is not in a rush to press on with that interest and he will take his time to consider the alternatives.

"Karembeu is not the priority," affirmed Le Dizet. "Christian was my team-mate some years ago but he has changed since that time.

"Anyway, we will see, nothing is impossible, but we will have to evaluate our means."

After being promoted from reserve team coach to manager, Le Dizet admits his key job is keeping Nantes in the top flight.

He added: "We are in an emergency situation. The aim is salvation.

"But the priority is to find a level in our game again which is equal to what we can expect from the squad. At the moment we are below our potential.

"The officials have offered me this post and I have accepted with pleasure. For two or three months, I knew that this could happen so I have thought about it for about two months."

Meanwhile, captain Mickael Landreau could stay at the club despite his fierce criticism of former coach Amisse and Nantes chairman Jean-Luc Gripond.

The goalkeeper is regularly linked with a move away from Nantes but his agent Alex Lablatiniere has not ruled out the France international remaining loyal to his only club.

Lablatiniere said: "Micka loves Nantes and, with a strong project, he would have nothing against a new long deal at FCNA."