Leeds United takeover update: Adam Pope told arrival date after 49ers miss expected attendance at weekend fan event
The wait for the Leeds United takeover to be officially announced is continuing amid a development that saw the 49ers miss an expected appearance with fans over the weekend, according to Adam Pope.
With ratification from the EFL continuing to drag on thanks to the agreement between the American enterprises and former chairman Andrea Radrizzani not being reached until 9 June, the official transfer of ownership, and the hotly-anticipated announcement of the new manager is yet to arrive.
And BBC journalist Pope has now heard that the new regime aren’t expected back for another week (10 July), leading to more questions than answers as to what stage the entire operation has reached.
Speaking on the BBC podcast Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on Monday (3 July, 5m 40s) he said: “I believe the 49ers were expected to attend an event this weekend with supporters, and they weren’t there.
“And a couple of people have said to me, ‘Oh I think they’re due back next Monday’.
“So, what does that mean? Does it mean that things are just… there’s not a lot they can do until they wait for the complete ratification by the Football League?
“Or are they confident now and it’s been done, and they can come back in next week or whenever and say, ‘Hey! It’s all been done’?”
Void
This doesn’t feel like a situation where no news is good news, even allowing for the fact that being Leeds United there is always scope for an unexpected new challenge to rear its head.
Supporters and journalists alike are all expecting the buy-out to be announced any time soon, with Daniel Farke thought to be the man named immediately after.
But expecting is not the same as knowing, so every day that goes by without official word is a day where situations can change, or the perception that they might causes people to get edgy due to a lack of information.
A sudden resurgence of the links to French manager Regis Le Bris appeared over the weekend, which seems farfetched but can’t be 100% dismissed without Farke unveiled.
And with work going into the transfer window behind the scenes it is obviously going to be somewhat more difficult for players who plan to stay to have returned to Thorp Arch with no new boss to greet them.
A positive update on a section of the squad has emerged in that context, but players who are otherwise on the fence could be convinced to take a deal to leave during this in-between period.
If all is calm behind closed doors at the club then perhaps none of this is a problem, but it is over a month since the season finished and some key answers are still conspicuous by their absence.
In other Leeds United news, a Manchester City player dubbed “world class” by his teammate is being targeted for an Elland Road move.