Investment

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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Investment

Post by NottinghamWhite »

Barlow Boy wrote:
As for the ground, didn’t Kinnear say they will develop the West Stand to increase capacity ?.
He did but a project like that would take months, I can only use the new “football “ stand at Headingley as example it took almost year ( I accept it was a back to back affair ) I would hate us to move out of ER so I’d be happy enough with that.
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ChilwellWhite
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Re: Investment

Post by ChilwellWhite »

This is certainly getting a run on social media with a lot of ITK folk reckoning that QSI are in it for a buyout with Radz staying on as president or some similar position. Given Manchester City and the likes hopefully it’s a case of if you can’t beat them then join them.
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Re: Investment

Post by isrodger »

As regards the ground I honestly believe the best solution financially would be to build a new ground capacity circa 55,000 on Fullerton park a la Spurs. Maybe initially with a slightly smaller east stand which can be increased in size with the demolition of the present ground. We logistically provide a genuinely unique opportunity to be the Wembley of the North (not that that’s easy to get to).

I have to say I do wonder at the millennium stadium in Cardiff, built at a cost of £120 with a retractable roof. Surely this could be replicated in Leeds with enhanced corporate for less than £200m ? Surely sponsorship / naming rights could cover the cost.
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Re: Investment

Post by psquithy »

I have to say I do wonder at the millennium stadium in Cardiff, built at a cost of £120 with a retractable roof.
Lets have one of them then :D
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Re: Investment

Post by Barlow Boy »

psquithy wrote:
I have to say I do wonder at the millennium stadium in Cardiff, built at a cost of £120 with a retractable roof.
Lets have one of them then :D
Yeah, I’ll even pay for it personally :D
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Re: Investment

Post by NottinghamWhite »

By Phil Hay.


Andrea Radrizzani flew into Paris with perfect timing on Wednesday, with French reports about Qatari designs on Leeds United still fresh in the mind. The Leeds owner attended Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League game against Club Brugge as a guest of PSG president and BeIN Sports boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

The pair first became friends through the negotiation of TV sports rights between MP & Silva, the company Radrizzani co-founded which deals with sporting television rights, and BeIN Sports. They were photographed together on Wednesday night, with Radrizzani (far right, above) sitting just behind Al-Khelaifi, who was next to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Neither Radrizzani or Al-Khelaifi can say that chatter about the sale of shares in Leeds is nothing to do with them.

The story grew legs earlier this year and there is no apparent will on the part of Radrizzani or Al-Khelaifi to knock it down or kill it. Radrizzani confirmed to The Times last month that investment from Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), the government-backed fund headed up by Al-Khelaifi, was “an option” for him. In the 24 hours before PSG’s meeting with Brugge, QSI sources briefed L’Equipe about a “real exchange” between Radrizzani and Al-Khelaifi but said that talks were “moving slowly”. On cue, Radrizzani was captured on video being driven away from the Parc des Princes.

Talks are moving slowly in the sense that most senior officials at Elland Road, while aware of the stories and Radrizzani’s pre-existing friendship with Al-Khelaifi, are not prepared for rapid movement. The Athletic understands that QSI has not carried out any due diligence and is yet to request access to detailed financial information about Leeds. The group has considerable wealth and the clout to take the club on regardless of the health of the books but, outside of private talks between Radrizzani and Al-Khelaifi, there is smoke rather than fire.

Radrizzani made an attempt to row back on his comments to The Times, insisting his mention of QSI and two other possible investors — one in Italy, one in the US — was not indicative of an immediate plan to relinquish a stake in Leeds. Sources close to him anticipate that the Italian will retain his current shareholding of just under 90 per cent until at least the end of this season and they are not convinced that Radrizzani will rush to dilute his shareholding if Leeds become a Premier League team next year.
In spite of that, he and QSI continually give the impression of two parties working towards a deal.

Sources in France say QSI values Leeds at around £70 million — between 60 and 80 million euros, according to L’Equipe — but that sum falls short of Radrizzani’s price. He paid £45 million in two separate installments to buy out Massimo Cellino and spent a further £20 million repurchasing Leeds’ Elland Road stadium from its private landlord, Jacob Adler, in 2017.


Elland Road is owned now by Greenfield Investments Pte, a Radrizzani firm and Leeds’ parent company, but any purchase of United would be likely to include the ground. The club make annual losses but their commercial base is stronger than any other side in the Championship and annual revenue has grown by more than £10 million since Radrizzani became chairman.

Radrizzani’s valuation — closer to the £100 million mark and potentially higher — was underlined by the deal which brought representatives of the San Francisco 49ers to the boardroom at Elland Road 18 months ago. 49ers Enterprises acquired a stake of around 12 per cent for some £11 million and the NFL franchise would be a key factor in any transfer for ownership.

The 49ers do not exert day-to-day influence on Leeds but they have a director on the board in Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises and the team’s chief contract negotiator, who regularly travels to England for matches. To date, the 49ers have never missed a board meeting at Elland Road. The two organisations share ideas about recruitment and medical practices and, despite Marathe denying that 49ers Enterprises had any interest in a future takeover, they are as well-placed — if not better positioned — than QSI to assume control of the club.

Radrizzani, as majority shareholder, is free to listen to offers for his stake but the terms of his agreement with the 49ers, as detailed by documents registered with Companies House, require him to keep them “fully informed” of any discussions with third-party investors. Officials from the 49ers have made no comment about reports of a possible takeover at Elland Road but are understood to be committed to their stake. If Qatari money is on the horizon, it is doubtful that Leeds could go forward with a three-way split of equity between QSI, a major US sports giant and the chairman who has run the club for the past two-and-a-half years.

Al-Khelaifi is under pressure in France, where the authorities have charged him over alleged corruption related to Qatar’s bid to host the World Athletics Championships in 2017 and 2019. Qatar missed out to London for the right to host the 2017 event, but this year’s championship took place in Doha and attracted criticism over poor crowds and sweltering heat. Khelaifi denies any wrong-doing.

There are some who ask if constant whispers over investment in Leeds are a threat by QSI to move its money out of France, eight years after it bought into PSG, and whether Leeds are a pawn in a political game. QSI had big plans for PSG — the priority being to win the Champions League — but the club have not come close, despite vast expenditure.

Business experts also question whether Qatar, with the World Cup around the corner, is in a position to take on another big project but QSI has a long-held interest in entering the Premier League. Leeds are a viable way into that division without having to pay the asking price commanded by the owner of any established top-flight club — in excess of £300 million in the case of Mike Ashley’s Newcastle United.

Al-Khelaifi could conceivably muscle in at Elland Road for a third of that figure and enhance Leeds’ value via promotion but he or any other investor would be subject to the constraints of the Championship’s Profit and Sustainability (PnS) rules. Leeds sailed close to the limits throughout the summer and are unlikely to have much leeway to spend heavily in January. Unless anyone opts to disregard PnS, the die is cast for this season in more ways than one.

It is not much of a stretch to think that Radrizzani is hedging his bets. He has a limited lifespan in the Championship and stated on the day of his takeover that he would devote a maximum of five years to winning promotion before drawing a line under any more personal investment. He is halfway through year three and this season will do one of two things: either clear the path to the Premier League or invoke a 16th straight year in the EFL and, in doing so, spell the end of Marcelo Bielsa’s reign as head coach.
Next summer could be the best of times or horribly complicated; a scenario where Bielsa leaves and Radrizzani, in essence, is required to start again with his fourth manager. Those are circumstances in which the transfer of ownership might appeal.

That he and Al-Khelaifi have spoken about investment is no secret. That QSI has the money to buy into Leeds is not in doubt either. What no one can be sure of is where this saga is headed or whether discussions between the two men are more hypothetical than one night together in Paris makes them seem.
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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Investment

Post by NottinghamWhite »

The one glimmer of hope for me is that the journalist who’s keeping this live is from The Times & not some red top.
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Re: Investment

Post by West beach white »

It seems leeds United are hot property at the moment. I believe there are two defining reasons behind this...
1. Rads has stabilised the club and put us back into the spotlight by having a high profile manager.
2. The leeds United world wide fan base, loud and proud.
If leeds get back to competing amongst the elite then ALL leeds fans should give themselves a well deserved pat on the back.

MOT
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Re: Investment

Post by Deleted User 5081 »

I would love to finally see Leeds get back to the Premiership and if a little investment came from QSI then i would welcome it. My issue with this happening though is the whole political aspect of Al-Khelaifi and the negative aspects that seem to dog him in the world of football.

It does however add some great fantasy football thoughts and what kind of players would come into the club if there were a full take over happen

If there was a full take over who would you like to see come in?
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Re: Investment

Post by Nic »

The QSI link is helpful to both parties. If indeed they are under pressure from French authorities, then using Leeds as a threat to move out could help them. It is not all one way traffic as there are other parties interested in Leeds and knowing that QSI are interested could boost the price Radz gets our get them to firm up bids from merely interested to preparing a formal bid.
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