Andrea Radrizzani is reportedly close to sealing his takeover of Leeds United.
According to The Sun, Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani is close to completing a takeover of Leeds United, as he’s currently waiting for the green light from the EFL to complete the deal.
The Whites have been under the power of Massimo Cellino since 2014, and it’s fair to say that his tenure in charge at Elland Road has been an eventful one.
General view inside Elland Road
Cellino has over seen the appointments and subsequent sackings of David Hockaday, Darko Milanic, Neil Redfearn, Uwe Rosler and Steve Evans, with fans often left frustrated by the lack of stability in the Elland Road dugout.
More recently, the controversial Italian has been banned from all footballing activity for 18 months after being found guilty of breaching agent regulations during Ross McCormack’s £11m move to Fulham in 2014, as reported by The Guardian.
Leeds owner Massimo Cellino
Cellino’s ban is set to take effect from February 1st, and it seems that he is hoping to push through a deal to sell a majority of the club to fellow Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani, who has been seen at Elland Road on a number of occasions this term.
Speculation has been rife over recent weeks that 42-year-old Radrizzani would be taking the reins at Elland Road, and The Sun now claim that a deal is close to completion, with Leeds looking like an attractive proposition right now having beaten Reading 2-0 on Tuesday night to take fifth place in the Championship table.
It’s stated that Radrizzani is waiting for ratification from the EFL in order to complete the deal, as all prospective owners must pass the Owners and Directors Test and file relevant paperwork to formalise the move.
The report adds Radrizzani – as he told The Strait Times – intends to buy the club in two stages, with 50% being purchased now and the remaining half next summer, which would eventually bring the curtain down on Cellino’s turbulent time in charge of Leeds.
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