The price of relegation from the Premier League is high — for Leeds United, it’s about $400 million.
That figure is the difference in the reported valuations of the club now that 49ers Enterprises — the ownership group of the San Francisco 49ers — has officially agreed to purchase 100% of the team.
Leeds majority owner Andrea Radrizzani has accepted a deal that values the club at $209 million, according to The Athletic. Had Leeds remained in the Premier League, that number could have been as high as $625 million.
More details are expected from the 49ers and Aser Ventures, Radrizzani’s investment firm, as the takeover is finalized.
The sale’s announcement concludes a complicated process that saw Radrizzani offer up Leeds’ Elland Road stadium as collateral for a $32.6 million loan to help finance his takeover of Italian club Sampdoria.
Summer plans for the new majority owners of Leeds United will include working out a strategy to finish atop the second-tier English Championship next season and reenter the Premier League in 2024.
Clubs in the top division receive the highest financial rewards from the $13 billion-plus in media rights fees coming into English soccer during this current three-year cycle (2022-25).
The sale also means more American influence in English soccer as 49ers Enterprises joins the likes of Stan Kroenke (Arsenal), Todd Boehly (Chelsea), and Fenway Sports Group (Liverpool) in expanding U.S. sports investment in the U.K.
