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Exclusive: PSG Owner in Talks With Leeds United Over Potential Takeover
Tom Gott 31 Mar 2020
Paris Saint-Germain's Qatari owners are prioritising a takeover of Championship side Leeds United in the near future.
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has been locked in talks with PSG counterpart Nasser al-Khelaifi, who also controls Qatari Sports Investments, over a potential takeover, with the Qatari outfit keen to expand their portfolio in England.
A source has confirmed to 90min that QSI have had the opportunity to purchase a number of different ​Premier League sides, but the focus is only on ​Leeds.
Radrizzani and Al-Khelaifi are close to agreeing a deal, with the initial terms worth close to the £120m mark, but Leeds have tried to keep everything quiet as they did not want a takeover to distract their push for promotion to the top flight.
When play was suspended, Leeds were top of the ​Championship and seven points clear of the playoff places, so club officials wanted to ensure players remained focused on the task at hand, rather than on speculation about the future.
QSI are also eager to avoid impacting Leeds' on-field fortunes. Intermediaries working on behalf of three Premier League clubs have reached out to give the Qataris a chance to buy a ready-made top-flight side, but they are only interested in seeing Leeds succeed.
Al-Khelaifi and his organisation see Leeds as a club with enormous potential. They believe that the Yorkshire side have what it takes to re-establish themselves as one of England's elite sides, while their huge and loyal fan base is also seen as an enormous positive.
Leeds were one of Europe's strongest teams during the late 60s and early 70s. They won the old First Division twice in a six-year spell and even reached the final of the 1974/75 European Cup, and it is this history which has attracted Al-Khelaifi.
Leeds have not been seen in the top flight since the 2003/04 campaign, when financial turmoil saw the team go on to drop down into League One, but Al-Khelaifi sees the chance to help awaken a sleeping giant and get Leeds back towards the top of the Premier League.