The American group 49ers Enterprises has reached an agreement with the owner of Leeds United, Andrea Radrizzani, for the purchase of his shareholding in the English club. The English team announced the agreement this Friday, which is waiting to receive approval from the Premier League, which will have to assess whether the new owners are suitable to enter the league.
This process could last several weeks, since the Premier renewed this regulation to avoid the entry into the competition of insolvent owners or whose funds come from irregular businesses. “Leeds can confirm that an agreement has been reached between Asher Ventures and 49ers Enterprises for the purchase of the club. Both parties will continue to work out the details and more details will be released soon,” Leeds explained in a statement.
49ers Enterprises is the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise and its president is Paraag Marathe, who has been vice-president of Leeds since 2021. Radrizzani took over the club in 2017 and owned 57% of Leeds, but he has decided to part with his shareholding package after the disastrous season that the Whites have completed, with three coaches fired, along with the Spanish Víctor Orta, sports director, and relegation to the Championship three seasons after rising, with Argentine Marcelo Bielsa at the helm.
The club’s valuation plummeted with the relegation and this purchase will allow the American group to invest appropriately to secure the future of the club, in addition to unlocking the sports field, in which the planning for the next season is stopped due to the lack of a coach and a sports director.
