French expert Julian Laurens is convinced Leeds United’s QSI takeover will happen

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Leeds United have been linked with a takeover by the Qatar Sports Invesment group, owners of Ligue 1 champions PSG.

Leeds United are about to join Paris Saint-Germain as part of the Qatari family. At least, that is what French football expert Julian Laurens believes as speculation intensifies about the future of one of England’s proudest and most historic football clubs, speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (5 June, 11.50pm).

According to the Telegraph, current Leeds owner Andrea Radrizani travelled to Doha this week to discuss the possibility of Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) buying a stake in the West Yorkshire giants.

The QSI chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has been the president of PSG since 2011, transforming the club into the most powerful in French football while bankrolling deals for the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Telegraph adds that Al-Khelaifi and Radrizani have an excellent relationship, going back a number of years.

And Laurens has now aimed to shed light on the situation.

“The PSG owners, the Qatar royal family, are very keen on buying Leeds,” Laurens said. “There is obviously a big competition between the Qatari royal family and the Abu Dhabi royal family, who own Manchester City – who have expanded their brand everywhere in the world, in Japan, in Australia, in the US.

“In Qatar, they are thinking we should be doing the same. And Leeds would very much be part of that. They have been interested in the English market for a long time and they are also looking at AS Roma.

“But it looks like Leeds ticks a lot of the boxes for them and I would be very surprised if that takeover doesn’t actually happen. I think it will happen sooner rather than later.”

The reports have divided the Leeds fan base with some pointing out that state ownership of a club with a proud local and family history could set a worrying precedent.

Others, however, have pointed out that the funds provided by a QSI investment could finally lead the club back into the Premier League after a 15 year absence.