Noel Whelan has urged the San Francisco 49ers to invest some money into Leeds United this summer.
The investment arm of the NFL side hold a 25% stake in the Yorkshire giants, and Whelan is eager for them to pull their weight a little more financially, especially after owner Andrea Radrizzani admitted that the club could be in for a difficult summer.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “I don’t like what I’m hearing, to be honest. If we haven’t got the money, and we clearly haven’t, we need some help. We need to get out of the league.
“We had the investment last year from the San Francisco 49ers. Where are they right now? We know they invested £10 million, but that’s a drop in the oceans for them. It’s nothing.
“Put your hand in your pocket and invest in the club. The team needs investment.
“I know we have spent a lot on Bielsa and his staff, but it feels like we’re doing things on the cheap, and that worries me.”
OPINION
Whelan raises a very valid point here. The 49ers own a substantial stake of Leeds United, but at the moment, they don’t seem to be doing anything in the way of helping the cause at Elland Road. Sure, pulling out a load of money to help a Championship team on the other side of the Atlantic may not seem like the most prudent move on the face of it, but a little bit of investment could be all it takes for this Leeds side to really kick on and return to the Premier League. How much would they be worth then? Surely, putting in a bit now, given how high the reward is for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, makes a lot of sense from both a footballing and a financial perspective. You also have to ask what the point in the 49ers having a stake is if they aren’t bothered about seeing the side grow. All in all, Whelan is bang on the money.
