Finance Expert reacts to new 49ers ownership twist at Leeds United
We’re delighted to welcome football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United.
Dan Plumley has insisted that there are “noises” from Leeds United and the 49ers Enterprises that new investment from Ackerley Partners is a deliberate strategy to help with promotion.
Bloomberg reported on 20 November that the 49ers had sold a minority stake in the club to the part-owner of the NHL side Seattle Krakens after they saw a released statement.
The finance expert admitted it was positive news, with the group providing strategic capital to help push the club back to the Premier League as quickly as possible.
“It certainly seems that way,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
“From the short press release that we’ve had, there’s noises in there that it seems a very deliberate strategy, it talks about the group providing strategic capital to expand the football and commercial operations of the club.
“That kind of points to an on-pitch push aimed at promotion as the most likely target, there is a narrative in there around wanting to get back to the Premier League as soon as possible.
“So, it’s another American influence as we know, and we’ve spoken about that at length in terms of English football more broadly and now into the Championship, it stacks up with the takeover and the way they want to move that club forward, so all of that points to positive news and as I say, it seems like a really deliberate play, of course, to try and get back to the Premier League as quickly as possible.
“It’s then what those partners can bring to the table after that, in terms of commercial leverage, assuming you can get back to the Premier League as quickly as possible.”
In other Leeds United news, our Expert also believes that the Whites could fine one of their players after an incident