Phil Hay shares if full 49ers takeover and Elland Road redevelopment close at Leeds United
Phil Hay has shared that there have been no indications that the 49 Enterprises will complete their buy-out of Leeds United imminently this summer.
The option is there, but The Athletic journalist mooted that things are set to stay the same at Elland Road for now with Andrea Radrizzani sticking as a majority investor.
It is now reported that plans to redevelop Elland Road are still on the table, but the bottom line remains the funding as it will not be cheap to make changes.
Writing in the latest edition of his Mailbag for The Athletic, Hay shared if any developments were close in the boardroom and at Elland Road this summer.
“As we know, the NFL franchise have an option to acquire control of Leeds but the club have just had a very close brush with relegation and it’s been a while since anything was said about additional uptakes of equity,” he wrote.
“The 49ers are still very much in the picture — officials from 49ers Enterprises were at the Brighton game in May — but we’ve had no indication a buy-out is imminent.
“As for the stadium, those plans are still on the table but the bottom line with any redevelopment project is funding. The money has to be in place before Leeds can proceed and the project won’t be cheap.”
One to watch.
Paraag Marathe has been at Elland Road towards the end of the 2021-22 season, and he will have no doubt have planned ahead with Radrizzani while here.
Working together appears to be working well right now, with numerous transfers in the works and money being spent after surviving in the Premier League.
The 49ers do have the option to take full control in the next couple of years, but it looks as though it is being put on hold, as are the plans to develop Elland Road even further.
Expanding and building on top of the West Stand will take time, and with such a short turnaround to the start of the 2022-23 season, it isn’t logical right now.
It is something to look forward to in the future, though, with The Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco something that can be looked at as motivation.
The 49ers do stay relatively quiet, and it will be interesting to see if they do speak out – it would give everything a huge insight into their plans for the future.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are readying a new bid for a blockbuster striker signing according to Phil Hay after Premier League survival