The news that almost every Leeds United supporter had been waiting for came through on Friday night. An agreement has been reached between 49 Enterprises and Andrea Radrizzani for the full purchase of the club, signalling a new dawn at Elland Road.
There are still a number of details to iron out and boxes to tick before the takeover can be officially rubberstamped, but the wheels are in motion and it should be over the line sooner rather than later. However, the agreement means the Whites can start to plan ahead and there is plenty that needs doing in preparation for the new season after the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Here’s a look at a few things that will be on the new ownership’s to do list.
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Appoint a head coach
This is the big one and time is of the essence with it. With the Championship season due to get underway during the first weekend of August, the start of pre-season isn’t far away and Leeds need a new man in place by that point at the very latest if they are to give themselves the opportunity to hit the ground running.
There has been some movement on this front since the club’s relegation from the Premier League a fortnight ago. The Whites decided against the idea of handing Sam Allardyce the reins following his ill-fated four game stint in charge of the club through May.
In the statement Leeds made upon Allardyce’s departure, the club vowed an announcement would be made in the coming weeks regarding a new head coach and several big names have been linked since. Former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke is now the bookmakers’ favourite, but Steven Gerrard, Carlos Corberan, Scott Parker and Brenden Rodgers are amongst those being linked heavily to the role, too.
Conversations can be expected to continue over the next week and while it’s not a decision that should be rushed, 49ers Enterprises will be keen to get their ownership underway on a positive note by appointing the right head coach. It’s not an exact science, of course, but the investment group know they will eventually be judged on the strength of such appointments down the line.
Get recruitment wheels in motion
While finding a new head coach looks to be at the top of the new ownership’s list of priorities, they cannot afford to drag their heels when it comes to player recruitment, either. It’s been two weeks since Leeds saw their relegation from the Premier League confirmed and while they won’t have been wasted, the takeover news signals the time to step up their efforts to build a squad capable of winning promotion back to the top tier of English football.
The new owners will expect a host of this season’s key men to leave the club. The likes of Rodrigo, Tyler Adams, Junior Firpo and Illan Meslier have already been linked with moves away and given they are amongst the highest earners at Elland Road, their departures are somewhat expected.
Leeds know they’ll need to operate with a larger squad next season in order to handle the demands of a 46-game season and new faces in order to freshen up the squad look important. Just how many signings are needed, though, is hard to say and the 49ers won’t know for definite until they have a clear picture of expected departures.
This summer would be a good opportunity to underline their intentions by splashing the cash and filling the gaps in Leeds’ squad with high profile and exciting additions.
Find a director of football
Last month’s dismissal of Victor Orta didn’t come as a huge surprise. The Spaniard had isolated himself by a series of poor signings and decisions and as the club slipped towards the Premier League’s bottom three, he was the man held accountable.
The fact he hasn’t been replaced yet, though, leaves a rather large hole to be filled at Elland Road. Leeds need direction and a hand on the tiller who can offer expertise, guidance and knowhow as United look to navigate the choppy the waters of the Championship. That will likely come in the form of a new director of football, but the new owners might opt for a different model, in which case a head of recruitment and one of two others would need to be found.
Ideally this appointment would come before the addition of a new head coach, given how important it is that the personnel in both roles are aligned and work well together. But, given the new Championship season is now just around the corner, it seems likely that a head coach will be the first man through the door.
Build a rapport
Having seen the way Radrizzani’s popularity with supporters deteriorated during his last couple of years as chairman, the 49ers will be keen to build up a strong relationship with fans as quickly as possible. Paraag Marathe is expected to become chairman. He’ll continue to be the face of the investment group and therefore a strong and constant line of communication from him looks important.
Ultimately, as mentioned above, they’ll be judged by what happens on the pitch, but honest intentions, clarity and dialogue goes a long way.
Look at the stadium
Marathe has previously underlined his desire to improve and expand Elland Road. The president of 49ers Enterprises has spoken about the ‘aura’ of the place before and his plans would seemingly be centred on keeping that while making the necessary developments to bring the stadium into the 21 st century.
Relegation will more than likely shelve those plans for the time being and chief executive Angus Kinnear has spoken about the costs of expansion in a recent supporter meeting. However, that doesn’t mean small improvements can't be made to certain parts of the ground and the facilities within it to make going to Elland Road a nicer experience for supporters.
Given their link to the San Francisco 49ers, the new ownership will know all about the importance of game day experience and while they will be keen to keep Elland Road as authentic as possible, upgrades are needed.
