Following their relegation from the Premier League, Leeds United will now come under new ownership as Andrea Radrizzani has reportedly sold the club to 49ers Enterprises, the owner of American NFL team San Francisco 49ers
According to reports, 49ers Enterprises, an American consortium, will now own 100 percent of the club following a new deal.
Who are 49ers Enterprises new owner of Leeds United, net worth in 2023, investors and investments
🚨| Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani remains locked in advanced negotiations over a revised deal to sell the club to 49ers Enterprises after their relegation to the Championship. pic.twitter.com/gqRxFIBphN
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 30, 2023
Prior to the takeover, the U.S.-based company already had a significant stake in the club.
Leeds United and their American influence
The new move further adds to the increasing American influence over at Leeds. The club already has three U.S. internationals on the roster – Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, and Weston McKennie. Moreover, the club had an American manager Jesse Marsch, who took charge over the club for 12 months. Marsch however, got sacked in February 2023. With Leeds already set to undergo major changes in the new season, the new owners will hopefully bring a new sense of fresh direction to the club.
Leeds United new owners chairman and net worth
The 49ers Enterprises, is an American consortium, who own the popular NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers. Denise DeBartolo York, a 72-year-old American billionaire, is currently serving as the chairman of the consortium. Denise is married to John York, who is the founder of DeYor Laboratories, an Ohio-based pathological research facility. John eventually sold the research facility to Corning. According to Forbes, the DeBartolo and York family has an estimated net worth of around $5.1 billion.
Denise is the daughter of construction magnate Edward DeBartolo Sr. Jed York, her son, also works as the CEO and president of the San Francisco 49ers and he is also the heir to the family fortune. Edward DeBartolo Sr. originally purchased the 49ers back in 1977 for around $13 million. He passed down the team to his son, Edward DeBartolo Jr. After running the team for some time, he was eventually forced to give it up to his sister 2000 after mounting legal and financial troubles. As of today, the popular NFL team is estimated to be worth around $5.2 billion.
Other 49ers Enterprises members
Besides the DeBartolo family, there are other members of the 49ers Enterprises. According to various reports, the consortium has over 60 investors, including 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe, and Peter Lowry. Peter is an Australian billionaire and an outspoken Leeds supporter.
Moreover, Marathe and Lowry also serve on the Leeds board. Aside from them, NBA player Larry Nance, Jr. is also rumoured to be part of the deal after recently tweeting a photo of himself inside the club’s stadium located at Elland Road.
Ahead of the Leeds purchase, the 49ers Enterprises already owned a 44 percent stake in the club. The initial purchase was a 15 percent stake back in 2018, which gradually increased over the years. Following the purchase, they will now have a 100 percent stake.
Leeds United current value
According to reports, Radrizzani valued the club at around £420 million ($522 million). However, this valuation was before their relegation from the Premier League in 2022/23. Following the relegation, the club is currently valued at around £220 million ($273 million), almost half.
The deal to sell the club was already set before the end of the 2022/23 season. As such, relegation led to fierce negotiations between the two parties as the buyers re-evaluated the club’s financials. Following 10 days of intense discussions however, the deal was reported to have been salvaged eventually.
Moreover, Radrizzani was also muddled up in another drama. He was in talks to purchase Italian club Sampdoria, and rumours suggested that he had used Elland Road as a security to acquire a £26 million loan. This news clearly agitated the Leeds fanbase. However, Radrizzani eventually acquired Sampdoria without using Elland Road as collateral. This move ultimately proved to be in favour of the 49ers Enterprises’ to complete the purchase of Leeds.
Reason behind Andrea Radrizzani selling Leeds
Just three days after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed in May 2023, Radrizzani made a public apology to their fans. Andrea stated:
We have made significant investments to try to keep Leeds United in the Premier League,” Radrizzani said in a statement, “but in working hard to improve the club, we have also obviously made some mistakes. We are reflecting on the decisions that we have taken to ensure we learn the lessons to improve our club and make progress in the future.
Radrizzani further added that:
We have invested heavily in Leeds United since 2017 and worked hard to get back to where the club deserves to be. With the support of our partners, we can continue that journey to bounce back.
New personnel
Aside from dealing with relegation troubles, Leeds also have to deal with hiring new personnel. Most importantly, the club needs to hire a new manager and a new sporting director immediately. Both Sam Allardyce and Victor Orta have departed ever since the end of the season.
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