Middle Eastern party set to enter race to buy Leeds United despite 49ers option

A party in the Middle East want to buy Leeds United from Andrea Radrizzani under the noses of the 49ers Enterprises, report the Daily Mail.

The Whites are set to be taken over in January 2024 by the American company, who already own a 44% stake in the club and have an option to trigger next year.

They have already secured funding for the deal, and have a deal with current owner Radrizzani to take over should the club be in the Premier League at the end of the current season.

However according to Daily Mail journalist Mike Keegan (5 January), there is nothing to stop a third-party entering the race and a firm in the middle east have shown an interest in doing a deal.

Their interest is said to be in the "very early stages" but they are hopeful of stealing a march on the 49ers deal which is said to be worth north of £400m.

Wow

Well, that's quite the shock.

It's been believed for a long time that when Radrizzani goes it will be the 49ers to step in and take over, and their influence in recent years has grown.

After securing funding it seemed a done deal, and Radrizzani has openly spoken about how the club needs more money to reach the levels they aspire to reach.

Money from the middle east has been frowned upon in the media, but it has done absolute wonders for the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United most recently.

If there is truth in it, it could be the best option for the club to pursue the dreams of reaching the great heights of the early 2000's all over again.

But many fans will rightly be weary of where the money comes from, so this is a story that will have to be watched closely over the coming months.

In other Leeds news, Gabriel Agbonlahor takes a swipe at Jesse Marsch live on talkSPORT