Leeds United news as contract talks set to begin for…

Leeds United news as contract talks set to begin for key man, Radrizzani's Eleven Sports sold

Here are the latest Leeds United evening headlines on Tuesday, 27 September 2022.

Harrison contract

Leeds United are set to begin talks with Jack Harrison over a new contract, according to Football Insider. They claim Leeds are ready to reward Harrison with a deal that reflects his status as one of Jesse Marsch’s key players.

Harrison’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024 and Leeds know it is vital to tie him down to fresh terms as soon as possible. Newcastle United have already shown strong interest in the former Manchester City winger, seeing two bids rejected by Leeds during the most recent transfer window.

Radrizzani sale

DAZN have confirmed they have reached an agreement to purchase Andrea Radrizzani’s Eleven Group. The sale has been completed for an undisclosed fee and will see the Leeds United owner appointed as the executive director of DAZN.

Radrizanni - the chairman and founder of the international sports broadcaster – first launched the company back in 2015. Eleven has channels in several different countries including the UK, Portugal, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Taiwan and Myanmar. Leeds visited the latter for a post-season friendly back in 2018.

It has rights to a number of European football’s elite competitions, with the Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga among them. Following the completion of the deal, Radrizzani wrote on his LinkedIn : “Excited to announce, after much speculation, our agreement with DAZN Group for the acquisition of Eleven Group businesses.”

Ghosts to exorcise

Ghosts need exorcising at Leeds United after the traumas of a campaign which diced with death and required deliverance from Championship evil at the 11th hour. A few of those elusive spirits have already been laid to rest by Jesse Marsch in a quietly promising start to 2022/23.

Yet there are two hauntings from his own 12-match stint last year which could do with a reading or two from Marsch’s bible on tactical supremacy. A 3-0 home defeat to Aston Villa and a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace were, ironically, floodlit bookends to an unbeaten run which ultimately kept the Whites up last season.

Selhurst Park point aside, they were two evenings which created some of the biggest worries about Leeds under Marsch. The abysmal home loss to Villa drew boos, anguish and even a scarf (which landed at Marsch’s feet) on one of the most toxic nights at Elland Road in several years.