The Athletic’s journalist and Leeds United expert Phil Hay has confirmed that the club owner Andrea Radrizzani and the head of Qatar Sports Investments Nasser Al-Khelaifi have indeed had discussions, but the process has been described as not fast-moving.
QSI believes the Italian overvalues Leeds a little bit following his asking price of £100 million-plus, and there wouldn’t be anything happening quickly as far as completing a deal goes.
Al-Khelaifi wants the purchase of shares to lead to the acquisition of a majority stake, and while the Elland Road outfit aren’t ready to reveal that the club is up for sale, Hay believes Radrizzani is willing to consider investment offers, but isn’t interested in making way when the season is ongoing.
Having picked up 31 points from their opening 16 Championship games of the season, Marcelo Bielsa’s side – currently third in the table – are one of the favourites to seal Premier League promotion, and it’s one of the reasons why they are attracting the likes of QSI and other potential investors.
The Whites owner was at the Parc des Princes last Wednesday to watch Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash with Belgian side Club Brugge, but he was there just as the guest of the PSG owner and there were no set meetings and plans for full discussions about Leeds.
It will be interesting to see what happens going forward, but nothing is guaranteed yet, and any takeover won’t happen until next summer.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
