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Leeds get funding boost

Leeds United’s owners will issue around £120million ($160m) worth of new shares in the club ahead of their return to the Premier League.

Investors have been told the nine-figure influx will be put towards Elland Road’s redevelopment and this summer’s transfer window.

According to sources, who spoke to The Athletic under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, senior figures in the ownership group reached out to shareholders in the days after promotion was secured. It was Burnley’s win over Sheffield United on April 21 that sealed the deal for Leeds.

While some of the existing investors declined the chance to spend more, the target amount has been reached by others who have been in the ownership group since the 2023 takeover by 49ers Enterprises.

With promotion secured and the dream of being back in the Premier League on the horizon, shareholders have sought to give the club its best chance of surviving relegation by stumping up more cash. The money, investors were told, gives the club increased working capital to assist with the stadium project and this summer’s critical transfers.

While this is a healthy influx of fresh cash into the club ahead of its most important summer in years, it’s unlikely this will be the entirety of what they have to spend. The increased income from broadcasters and sponsors will also fund United’s plans, along with whatever they generate from player sales.

This new cash will, of course, not fund the entirety of Elland Road’s redevelopment either. This is a window which has been opened to investors who want to put more in, which helps top everything up as they approach the Premier League.

As the team representing a vibrant regional capital, Leeds deserve to stay in the top flight.

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