LEEDS have reportedly moved a step closer to a takeover with the PSG owners on course to buy a £10million stake in the club.
Qatari Sports Investments are understood to be keen on securing control of the Elland Road club and are on the “verge” of finalising their initial deal.
PSG owners Qatari Sports Investments, spearheaded by Nasser al-Khelaifi, are reportedly on the verge of buying a stake in LeedsCredit: EPA
It’s said that QSI’s owner and PSG president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, and Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani are close friends due to their respective involvement with TV channels beIN Sport and Eleven Sports.
According to the Star, a £120m takeover will be completed in the summer should Leeds secure promotion back to the Premier League this season.
Despite winning the First Division three times in their history, Leeds have been out of the top flight since 2004, with three years in League One between 2007 and 2010.
Current chief Radrizzani paid £40m for the Championship club in 2017 and is thought to want double that to sell up now.
But with the lack of Premier League football on offer to potential buyers, it has proved impossible thus far to strike a deal.
However, after the play-off heartbreak last year, Marcelo Bielsa’s team look on course to go up this time around.
They have already racked up 43 points from their first 20 games of the current campaign and sit eight points clear of third-placed Fulham in the race for automatic promotion.
Leeds have won six on the bounce following yesterday’s 2-0 win over Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield.
Goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez after half-time ensured it was derby delight for Bielsa’s men and their travelling supporters.
The Argentine boss, though, reckons there is still room for improvement.
He said: “We defended set-pieces badly, but our first goal from Alioski made it easier for us to develop the play.
“In the first half we should have created more chances, but we had some opportunities and we couldn’t end them very well.
“We struggled with our last pass when we arrived in good positions, but it’s good to have chances rather than not.
“The second half was different, but we had problems in both halves with set-pieces.”
Leeds may have four more points than at this stage last season, but Bielsa is refusing to get carried away by discussing promotion just yet, especially after last season’s post-Christmas collapse.
He added: “We can not test the team in this moment, we need more time to test this.”
Leeds are hoping to secure promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 under Marcelo BielsaCredit: Action Images – Reuters
Watch Leeds ace Alioski bizarrely shout ‘Peppa Pig’ in before Charlton clash
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
