Ornstein: Leeds United’s £35million agreement a sign of things to come from San Francisco 49ers - Leeds All Over 16/1/23
Kris Smith
Leeds United’s ambitious January spending has come largely
thanks to the investment of minority shareholders, San Francisco 49ers.
The Whites needed some serious investment into the
first-team this month as they find themselves again in a battle at the bottom
end of the table.
Both ends of the pitch have been a source of concern for
Jesse Marsch and the board from the first half of the season, with Leeds
conceding too many goals, while not having a focal point in the striker
position.
Leeds kicked off their January business with defensive
recruitment, as they signed Red Bull Salzburg’s Max Wöber for a reported
£10million fee.
That was built on by improvements in attack for Marsch and
Leeds, as the drawn-out negotiations with Hoffenheim finally brought an
agreement to sign Georginio Rutter on a club-record fee that could rise to
£35million.
The question for Leeds is, where is the money coming from?
Andrea Radrizzani has very rarely been willing to splash out on new signings in
January, not least two eight-figure outlays.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has now revealed that the
club’s spending has been bankrolled by the San Francisco 49ers’ side of the
stakeholders.
Writing in his column today, he said:
“Discussions over the cost of Rutter were unexpectedly
complex, running over several days last week. Hoffenheim held out for a high
price but the proposed deal also led to discussions about how the move would be
funded at Elland Road — and, at shareholder level, who would pick up the bill.”
In terms of how the signing will be paid for, Ornstein added
this:
“The proactive role of 49ers Enterprises in supporting the
bid for Rutter and agreeing to meet future payments for him is another firm
indication of a change of ownership coming. Leeds, like most clubs, structure
payments to run over a new signing’s contract — Rutter’s runs to 2028 — and it
looks likely that the responsibility of meeting many of those instalments will
fall to 49ers Enterprises.”
It more or less confirms what every fan was thinking anyway,
that the 49ers are behind this spending spree.
Given that we know Radrizzani is looking to sell the club,
he’s unlikely to want to put his hand in his pocket for that many signings,
especially not ones this large.
The 49ers will not be keen to buy a club facing relegation
to the Championship, so they need to show they can help the club grow with new
signings.