Andrea Radrizzani deal ‘close to completion’ amid ‘intense pressure’ Leeds United exit – Phil Hay
Andrea Radrizzani’s Sampdoria takeover is “close to completion” as the outbound Leeds United owner has been voted in by the board, Phil Hay reports.
The Italian set about a deal to buy the financially stricken club at the same time that his tenure as chairman of the Whites was ending, before a 100% sale to the 49ers was eventually agreed on 9 June.
His takeover of Sampdoria is expected to be completed in September but the former Elland Road chief posted on Twitter “Forza Sampdoria” Friday afternoon (16 June) to apparently signify the latest developments.
According to Hay in The Athletic those are: “The first tranche of convertible debt is now free to be drawn down and the current Sampdoria board has approved the half-year-end accounts and voted in the new majority shareholder. The club can now apply for a licence to compete in Serie B next season.”
Of the situation as Radrizzani exited Leeds United under a cloud, amid a reported attempt to secure a loan for the Sampdoria purchase against Elland Road, Hay adds: “Radrizzani had been under intense pressure to exit Leeds after the club’s three-year stay in the Premier League ended with relegation.”
The formal completion of the 49ers takeover is also expected to be several weeks away.
New eras
Most Whites fans will feel that Sampdoria are welcome to Radrizzani now that his sale to the new American owners has been agreed.
It would likely have been far more conducive to a smooth transition at Elland Road had he not been distracted by a buy-out of a new club before he had told his old one.
But it is impossible to turn back time now, so the sooner than both deals are officially ratified the sooner everyone can move on with the future.
The now-former owner responded to a Leeds United fan on Twitter after his Sampdoria proclamation to admit the mistakes he had made at the end of his time in charge.
But with the Whites still needing answers at manager and in the transfer market, despite the temporary appointment of Nick Hammond to oversee the window, Leeds are still picking up the pieces of the failure to ensure the takeover was ready to go as soon as the season ended.
There were undoubtedly good times with the Italian in charge at Elland Road, but since the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa a year-and-a-half ago the situation went badly downhill, and the manner of his exit didn’t paint him in a great light on the way out.
In other Leeds United news, Angus Kinnear has been in “ongoing” talks for at least three weeks with new manager candidates.