Leeds United are one of a number of prominent football clubs in England now with American owners, with 49ers Enterprises holding a majority stake in the Whites.
Any Leeds fan will suggest that it has been unusually calm at Elland Road of late. Daniel Farke’s side have moved themselves eight points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Leeds have lost just one of their last 10 games in all competitions, with Lukas Nmecha’s stoppage-time goal giving them a 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Nevertheless, there is still some pressure on the owners to strengthen while the January transfer window is open.
Why Rory McIlroy did not invest in Leeds United
Facundo Buonanotte has joined on loan, but another centre-back looks to be required. Leeds will also know that their hopes of staying in the top flight will take a significant hit if Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffers an injury at any stage.
The likes of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth will be interested to see what happens over the coming weeks. The two PGA Tour stars decided to invest in the club when 49ers Enterprises completed a full takeover in 2023.
Rickie Fowler opted not to join them after Leeds were relegated from the top flight.
He was not the only golfer to decide against investing in Leeds.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Rory McIlroy explained why his allegiances to Manchester United stopped him from getting involved at Elland Road.
“There is Tom Brady at Birmingham and there are a few golfers – Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas – who invested with the 49ers Group, and they own a tiny slice of Leeds. They asked me if I wanted to come on board, and I said as a Man United fan I cannot go anywhere near that,” he said.
What Rory McIlroy said about investing in Manchester United
There has, of course, been a significant change behind the scenes at Old Trafford in the last few years. Ineos now own more than a quarter of the club, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe running the football operations.
And speaking at the time, McIlroy suggested that he would jump at the chance to get involved.
“I would love to be able to own a tiny percentage of the club I grew up cheering on as a boy,” he added.
“I would have loved to have taken 0.00001 per cent of Manchester United when Jim Ratcliffe took 25 per cent. And if another opportunity comes my way I will look at it. But it is not something that has come across our table as of yet.”
Given those comments, it is probably wise that McIlroy decided against joining Thomas and Spieth at Leeds.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
