Leeds United

Leeds United: Kieran Maguire discusses San Francisco 49ers upping their stake in the club

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Image for Leeds United: Kieran Maguire discusses San Francisco 49ers upping their stake in the club

Kieran Maguire has recently discussed San Francisco 49ers’ decision to up their stake in Premier League club Leeds United.

Earlier this week, it was reported by the Financial Times that 49ers Enterprises had ‘ramped up’ their stake in Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites.

It was claimed that the American investment unit of the NFL franchise had previously held a 15% stake, which had then been upped to 37% of the Elland Road outfit.

The San Francisco 49ers first became involved with Leeds three years ago before the club was promoted to the Premier League and the financial details of their latest transaction were not disclosed.

During the latest episode of The Price of Football podcast, Maguire aired his thoughts on the reasoning behind the 49ers upping their stake in Leeds.

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Nice easy one to start off with, what number does Phillips wear for Leeds United?

He said: “The logic behind the San Fransisco 49ers’ investment, this is a curious one. SF49 is a very successful brand in the United States and I think what San Fransisco 49ers see in Leeds United is a club with a lot of potential.

“But it needs cash invested now to start to realise that potential, because before [Andrea] Radrizzani came into Leeds, the club was subject to a game of pass-the-parcel by a series of owners.

“Now, what San Fransisco 49ers have said [is], ‘We’re in this for a longer haul. We think that we can use our commercial nous to make Leeds a bit of a name in the US.’

“San Fransisco, they’re very smart cookies, so, this is an intriguing investment.

“I suspect [the deal] is because [Radrizzani’s] not got the cash to take Leeds to a competitive level. I know they’re keen to break into the top six.

“The money from the San Fransisco 49ers could be used for investment on the pitch and also, if they could revamp the stadium, that’s going to make them more competitive in the medium term.”

TIF Thoughts on what Kieran Maguire said about SF49’s investment in Leeds…

As can be seen in what the finance expert had to say, he believes that the investment from the San Fransisco 49ers could mean big things for the Whites going forward.

Do you think the investment from the San Fransisco 49ers could make Leeds a top-six club?

No, it's not enough

No, it's not enough

Yes, anything is possible

Yes, anything is possible

During the current transfer window, the Whites have not spent any money on incoming players at Elland Road (as per Transfermarkt).

So, despite Bielsa claiming he was happy with his squad (per Phil Hay), it will be interesting to see if the investment has any impact on the remainder of the transfer window and whether their involvement has a bearing on Radrizzani’s level of control at the club.

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