A round-up of the latest Leeds United headlines on Saturday, May 27.
Andrea Radrizzani 'to finalise' Sampdoria takeover next week
Gazzetta dello Sport claim Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is set to complete a takeover at recently relegated Serie A side Sampdoria. The Whites boss has reportedly convinced the board at the Italian club to sell to him as the preferred bidder.
Radrizzani, QSI and Aser are involved in the takeover and they're said to have pipped Italian businessman Alessandro Barnaba to the sale. The Italian club is in financial trouble and Radrizzani is said to have come up with the best proposals in terms of restructuring the club's debt.
The Leeds owner will need to get to work immediately with salaries needing to be paid prior to May 30th in order to receive parachute payments. The Italian club is in need of a major rebuild and the Whites could be in a similar predicament, albeit financially stable, if they're relegated from the Premier League this weekend.
Simon Jordan makes bold Leeds United boardroom prediction ahead of crunch clash with Tottenham
Former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan believes Leeds United can bounce straight back up to the Premier League IF they sort out their boardroom scenario. There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks linking current Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani with a takeover at Italian clubs Inter Milan and recently relegated Sampdoria.
The latest reports claim Radrizzani is in advanced talks with PSG's owners to take over the new Serie B side, suggesting the Qataris could also invest at Elland Road. The reports in France cast doubt over the 49ers Enterprises mooted takeover this summer.
The American organisation is widely expected to complete a full takeover at Elland Road this summer, with a reported deadline of January 2024. However, relegation would likely impact the financial transaction between the two parties, with a lesser fee paid for a Championship side.
Everton's injury woes give Leeds United's survival hopes a boost
Leeds United's survival hopes have received a boost with relegation rivals Everton missing two key players for this weekend's Premier League finale. Leeds, Everton and Leicester City are involved in a three-way relegation battle in which only one can survive.
Everton go into their home game against Bournemouth on Sunday two points ahead of both Leeds and Leicester and favourites to stay up knowing that a win will be enough for them regardless of how the others get on. But Toffees boss Sean Dyche revealed today that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and defender Nathan Patterson will miss out after they failed to recover in time after picking up injuries in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"They won't be fit," said Dyche. "Well, we haven't had Dom for two-thirds of my time here."
Four Leeds United players competing for Player of the Year, but does anyone deserve the crown?
Four managers, 74 goals conceded, and a bottom three that’s been beckoning with frustrating consistency throughout the season. There’s no doubting that it’s been a pretty torrid campaign for Leeds United.
At the heart of that disappointment for many has been the underwhelming performances of key players, from Illan Meslier’s loss of form to the lack of impact from record signing Georginio Rutter since his arrival in January.
But while positivity has been hard to come by this term, there is still a chance some Leeds men can end the season with credit in the back, and it’s up to the fans to decide who can hold their heads high despite the plight.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur team to face Leeds United as Ryan Mason handed injury boost
Tottenham Hotspur will be without central defender Cristian Romero for their final Premier League game of the season against Leeds United. Spurs' interim head coach Ryan Mason confirmed the Argentina international would miss the must win game for both sides, having picked up an injury against Aston Villa.
The defender sat out of Tottenham's 3-1 defeat to Brentford last weekend, while midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also missed the clash with the Bees. However, the Dane could be included in the matchday squad to face Leeds having trained at Hotspur Way on Thursday.
"Cristian no, he's got an injury and out," Mason told football.london at his pre-match press conference. "Pierre trained yesterday so we're hopeful that maybe he can help us at the weekend."
Tottenham's Ryan Mason makes Elland Road demand as Leeds United relegation pressure builds
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ryan Mason is calling on his players to use the Elland Road tension to their advantage this weekend. The Londoners have struggled to find consistency throughout the Premier League season and they travel to face Leeds United having won just one game in their last seven.
However, despite the wretched run, they know a win over the Whites could be enough to secure European football, with a spot in the Europa Conference League still up for grabs. It’s a significant fixture for Spurs, then, but the pressure riding on the game is nothing compared that of their opponents, who need a win to avoid being relegated to the Championship.
Sam Allardyce’s side will be doing all they can to drag themselves out of the bottom three, but their fate is dependent on results elsewhere with relegation rivals Leicester City and Everton required to falter, too. The stress and anxiety that comes with the situation will be felt on the pitch and in the stands and it could have a huge impact on the eventual outcome.
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