Leeds United part-owners Red Bull strike new ‘long-term partnership’ with Everton
Everton have confirmed a new “long-term partnership” with Leeds United minority owners Red Bull as their new official energy drink partner.
The Toffees announced the deal via their website on 6 September as a “multi-year agreement” in the drinks giants’ latest move into English football.
Red Bull bought into the Whites during the summer, becoming the club’s principle shirt sponsor in a controversial move which saw their red logo meet opposition from fans [The Athletic, 18 July].
The move comes just three days after Newcastle announced a similar deal with the company.
Leeds United investors now in at Everton and Newcastle
The latests developments shouldn’t mean much in practice for the Whites as things stand, but they likely won’t put supporters who already felt uneasy about Red Bull’s arrival at Elland Road at ease.
The Austrian company already have a huge influence across global sport, and in football through their ownership of Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.
Many Leeds United fans are anxious about their buy in to the club being the thin end of the wedge ahead of future plans to rebrand.
Assurances have been made by Paraag Marathe of majority owners the 49ers that there are no such plans [The Athletic, 30 May], but nothing can ever be entirely ruled out with the prospect of future ownership changes down the line.
At the very least the new deals at Goodison Park and St. James’ Park suggest Red Bull want to establish themselves in English football above all, rather than having a unique focus on Leeds.
Whether that is a relief or a concern will be a matter of perspective, but on one level it might be a source of some discomfort for part owners at Elland Road to be pumping cash in at rival English clubs through these partnerships, even if their financial impact on Leeds is already believed to be “pretty mega” [Adam Pope, 3 June] and helped the club overcome the financial legacy of the Andrea Radrizzani era.
In other Leeds United news, a Sky Sports pundit has slammed a “rubbish” Whites move in the transfer market.
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