NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers have the option to fully buy out Premier League club Leeds United. This would include them acquiring the ownership of their stadium, Elland Road as well.
The investment arm of the NFL franchise, 49ers Enterprises, owns a 44% total stake of the Yorkshire club. This originally began with a partnership between the two, with the 49ers having a 10% stake in the club. That figure has risen to almost 50% now.
‘Now we are partnered with 49ers, this is fundamentally very important because it will be very difficult to stay in the Premier League, but if we stay in it this year I think we can go much more than last year and go into the top six,’ the owner of Leeds United, Andrea Radrizzani said at the Web Summit event in Lisbon.
‘Start to renovate the stadium and continue to grow the value of this club.’
Radrizzani acquired Leeds United for £45 million back in 2017. In three years’ time, the Italian has led the team back to the Premier League after spending 15 years away. They managed to stay in the league in their first season back and are now looking ahead.
The option to buy Leeds United for the 49ers Franchise will be valid until 2024. They will have to pay a fee worth £475 million to fully take over the club. The value of the Yorkshire outfit has undergone a rise following their return to the English top flight. And according to the Athletic, it could be completed earlier as well.
