Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is set to miss out on a whopping £270 million if the club is relegated this season, according to the Daily Mail.
Javi Gracia’s side have suffered consecutive confidence-shattering defeats at Elland Road, leaving their Premier League status hanging by a thread.
Having won just two of their last seven top-flight games, the Lilywhites sit two points above the relegation zone with seven games left to play.
If they fail to survive the relegation dogfight, there will be telling consequences that impact Radrizzani, who is considering selling his stake in the club.
Radrizzani, who owns a 56% stake in Leeds through Aser Group Holdings, bought the club in 2017 while they were competing in the Championship. They won promotion in 2020 and have remained a top-flight side since.
However, they are in danger of dropping back into the second tier following a below-par season which could affect Radrizzani’s plans of cashing in on the club.
49ers Enterprise, who own a 44% stake in Leeds, have the option to take full control at Elland Road in a deal currently valued at £420m, but that price only applies if they remain in the Premier League.
The San Francisco-based American football franchise reportedly view Leeds as a long-term investment and would remain open to a complete takeover even if they are relegated.
However, they would only value the club at £150m if Leess drop into the Championship, which would jeopardise Radrizzani’s hopes of lodging a bid to buy Serie A giants Inter Milan.
Inter are valued at around €1 billion and could be on the market this summer despite CEO Steven Zhang’s refusal to sell – especially with the club struggling with their finances.
Radrizzani hopes to sell his stake at Leeds to fund a move for the Italian giants, but whatever deal he has in mind depends on the Premier League status of the Lilywhites at the end of the season.
However, if the Milan-born Leeds owner decides to act on his interest, he will face competition from Bahrain-based Investcorp, who were involved in the bidding process for AC Milan last year.
