Sam Allardyce has been appointed as Leeds United manager for the final four games of the Premier League season as the club seeks to retain their top-flight status.
The former Bolton, Newcastle and Everton boss will face Man City in his first game with fixtures against the Magpies, West Ham and Tottenham to complete the season.
It is a tense time for the Whites’ ownership as they watch on as the Elland Road club aims to retain their top-flight status. Leeds’ ownership is split between majority shareholder and chairman Andrea Radrizzani and 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers.
The ownership structure has been the subject of numerous changes since 49ers Enterprises first bought a stake in the club.
In late 2021, 49ers Enterprises increased their minority stake in Leeds to 44 per cent. Radrizzani bought Leeds for £45 million in 2017 and has since taken the club from the Championship back into the Premier League.
49ers Enterprises purchased an initial stake in Leeds in 2018 before increasing their investment and control in January 2021 as it was announced that they had upped their ownership to 37 per cent while president of 49ers Enterprises, Paraag Marathe, became vice-chairman.
It is believed the American investors have the option to complete a full takeover before January 2024 and we we look at how their net worth compares to that of the other owners in the Premier League...
1. Brentford - £24.5m
The Bees owner Matthew Benham, who also owns FC Midtjylland in Denmark, took full control of his boyhood club in 2012.
2. Brighton - £765m
Tony Bloom purchased a 75 per cent share in his hometown club in 2009.
3. Southampton - £1.02billion
Sport Republic, financed by Serbian Dragan Šolak, bought a controlling stake in the Saint Mary’s outfit in January 2022.
5. Everton - £2billion
British-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri purchased a 49.9 per cent in the club in 2016 before increasing his shares to 94 per cent in January
6. Nottingham Forest - £3billion
Evangelos Marinakis has owned Forest since 2017 and is also the owner of Olympiacos in Greece