Leeds United could still find themselves to be the subject of interest from Qatar Sports Investment after recent comments from the family appear to have suggested that there is an opportunity on the table to help out with a Championship club.
L’Equipe have quoted a wider member of the QSI family saying “This is an opportunity that presents itself. It is interesting and it is a big name in English football that we can help develop and bring back [to the Premier League]; a very beautiful brand with which we can recreate a story.”
Last month, Andrea Radrizzani revealed he was considering offers from three parties in an exclusive interview with The Times, with one of them being revealed to be the QSI group.
QSI boasts an impressive portfolio of business, including Paris Saint-Germain and have managed to help bring in some huge names in recent memory with the likes of Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria plying their trade in the French capital.
L’Equipe believe Leeds will cost around €60-80m (£51.6-68.8m), which is a figure a QSI source backed up by saying: “That’s not wrong.”
QSI state on their website that their mission is: “To invest in established and emerging sport, leisure and entertainment opportunities. We aim to provide innovative investment solutions to ensure successful financial returns. We want to create great value for our customers, the general public and our stakeholders.”
That mission statement would suggest that the group would be willing to invest in Leeds if they were to purchase a stake in the Elland Road outfit, however, it would also appear as though they would be looking to make a return, which may not sit well with some fans who don’t want the club to be run like a business.
It’s still very early days in the negotiations, with the QSI entourage saying: “There are real discussions, but it’s a slow-moving file. But it can go faster tomorrow…”
Whatever happens remains to be seen, however there will likely be some excitement around LS11 that the club could be within a chance of competing amongst some of the best with some new investment potentially coming into the coffers.