Andrea Radrizzani has revealed in Gazzetta dello Sport he is ready to return to quit Leeds United and return to Italy if the club are not in the Premier League in “three or four years”.
The United owner made the timeline admission as he explained his ambitions for the Championship club he took full control of last year after buying out ex-owner Massimo Cellino.
Asked about a return to his homeland in Italy, the businessman told Gazzetta: “England is the top, I want the Premier in three to four years, otherwise I could seriously think about the return”.
Radrizzani also revealed he was interested in buying Serie A club Sampdoria and Ligue 1 outfit Nice two years ago, and had a “chance” to take over AC Milan before the current owners.
OPINION
Radrizzani’s admission he will quit United if they’re not in the Premier League by 2021 or 2022 is not a huge surprise. The owner is ambitious and driven, even if his big talk is not always matched by the kind of deals a club of Leeds’ history and prestige should be targeting. Certainly, the owner’s standing among fans has been restored somewhat after he plummeted in view of the faithful following a 2017-18 season that promised much but delivered nothing. A focus on youth team recruitment rather than the marquee senior signings pursued by the likes of Wolves last summer had also led to question marks over how far Radrizzani was willing to go to bankroll a return to the Premier League after a decade-and-a-half. The jury is still out on Leeds’ transfer activity but the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as manager could be the coup of this or any other Championship season. Radrizzani spent big to push through the deal, and Leeds have been rewarded with a remarkable start to the Argentine’s reign. If it continues for an extended period of time, Radrizzani will get his Premier League dream realised sooner rather than later.