The timing of Andrea Radrizzani’s appearance in Italy was unfortunate, to say the least. Less than 24 hours after watching his Leeds United side take another huge step towards Premier League relegation against West Ham United, Radrizzani was speaking to reporters at Sampdoria’s training ground.
The Italian is playing a leading role in Gestio Capital’s attempted purchase of the already relegated Serie A outfit and he could be heard expressing his optimism that the deal will go through sooner rather than later. It’s a move that has seen him attract plenty of criticism from Leeds fans on social media, with the manner of Sunday’s defeat at the London Stadium still fresh in their minds.
But, it also seems to be the clearest indication yet that the chairman’s time at Elland Road is coming to an end. The ownership situation at Leeds has been up in the air for some time now amid the proposed takeover from 49ers Enterprises.
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An agreement is in place for the American investors to take the next step and become majority shareholders in West Yorkshire this summer, if the club were to stay in the Premier League this season. The club’s extremely precarious position at the wrong end of the division complicates that considerably, though, and as a result, there has been a lot of uncertainty regarding next season’s boardroom line-up.
Radrizzani’s ability and willingness to sell has been questioned, as has 49ers Enterprises’ desire to complete the purchase of a Championship club. But, according to The Athletic, after extensive talks it seems there is a desire to make the deal happen regardless of the division Leeds find themselves in and the Italian’s interest in Sampdoria would certainly tie into such a notion.
There is the possibility that Radrizzani could be looking to continue with a multi-club model, with both Leeds and bankruptcy-threatened Sampdoria making up his portfolio. But, his interest in the Italian Riviera based outfit is more likely to be a tell when it comes to planning for life after Leeds United.
It seems to be Radrizzani showing that he’s ready to move on and bring the curtain down on six years of ownership in Beeston. There’s no doubt about it, he has brought success to United during his tenure and the club’s promotion to the top flight in 2020 paved a legacy of sorts for him.
However, a string of poor decisions off the field have brought a decline on it over the last couple of seasons, eating into his popularity, and therefore, regardless of what happens over the next week or so, this summer might just be the natural time to move on. His interest in Sampdoria would seem to signal a recognition of that and 49ers Enterprises intentions to progress with their own takeover.
It’s in the club’s best interests, though, that any deal be complicated quickly and cleanly over the summer months. Whatever division Leeds find themselves in, they have the opportunity to reset with a new head coach, a new director of football and some necessary squad recruitment.
There’s no time to waste when it comes to agreeing on direction and putting the right people in place. In fact, the last thing Leeds need or want is to be left in the lurch by a takeover moving at snail’s pace as pre-season begins to loom on the horizon. Finding a new director of football is the first and most important job it seems, assuming the decision is made to continue with the current leadership model, of course.
The new arrival needs to be aligned with any head coach plans, while also having a huge say and influence on recruitment at every level. It promises to be a summer of upheaval in every sense of the word at Elland Road, but next season’s success may well depend on the proposed takeover being signed off and completed in good time.
Dragging heels at this point will do the Whites no favours and limit any chances of instant success for Radrizzani’s successors. The Italian appears to have shown his hand when it comes to where he might think his future lies, what happens next, though, promises to shape the Whites immediate fortunes on the pitch.
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