The planned takeover of Leeds United this summer is being hampered by stalling from one party, according to finance expert Kieran Maguire.
Are 49ers Enterprises expected to buy Leeds?
The Whites suffered the disappointment of relegation from the Premier League back in May, with a return to the Championship not what the doctor ordered.
Amid the search for a new manager and top signings this summer, ongoing talk has surrounded the proposed takeover of Leeds, with 49ers Enterprises aiming to gain a majority share in the club – reaching an agreement last month.
The general feeling was that the agreement would be announced sooner rather than later, allowing the club to kick on, but things have gone quiet on the matter of late.
What's the issue regarding Leeds' takeover?
Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire claimed that the current apathy surrounding the takeover could be being caused by one party being indecisive:
"The delays in terms of the Leeds United takeover are not being caused by the EFL. We’ve seen in other deals, such as in the sale of Wigan and Huddersfield Town, that if all parties are in alignment a deal can go through in a matter of days rather than weeks or months.
"Therefore, it would seem that the slow progress is caused by either the buying or selling party in the takeover.
"It has consequences on an operational level in terms of the club’s ability to recruit, both in the backroom staff and the players on the pitch. The quicker this deal is resolved, the better."
This is a frustrating update if true, with most people of a Leeds persuasion surely desperate for 49ers Enterprises to be the Whites' new owners, kickstarting a positive new era at Elland Road.
As Maguire alludes to, the longer this goes on, the more it potentially impacts the club's summer business in terms of the funds being available to bring in new faces and rebuild a squad that could in turn allow key players to depart.
The hope is that an agreement over the takeover coincides with the announcement of a new manager imminently – Daniel Farke looks highly likely to be named as the man in charge in the coming days – and that this current stalling ends quickly.
Once the takeover goes through, Leeds could be a completely different animal in a financial sense, allowing them to make a fast return to the Premier League, developing Elland Road and the training facilities at the same time.