American entrepreneur Rudy Cline-Thomas is in contention to be named upon Leeds United's board of directors following the completion of the takeover by the 49ers Enterprises. That is according to the Athletic, with the investor expected to gift back his shares in Plymouth Argyle in order to comply with EFL regulations and take up a role with the Whites.
Andrea Radrizzani is closing in on the purchase of Sampdoria, with the Leeds chairman recently taking to social media to celebrate one of the final hurdles to a deal being confirmed for the Serie B side. Radrizzani alongside Matteo Manfredi will aim to lead the club to an immediate return to Italy's top-flight, with recent uncertainty over I Blucerchiati's ownership putting their position in the second tier at risk.
United's minority shareholders 49ers Enterprises have reached an agreement to buy out Radrizzani and bring his six-year stint at Elland Road to an end. The prospective deal now lies in the hands of the EFL, who will assess key investors within the group.
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One of these has now been named as Cline-Thomas, who began his career with an NBA internship in the early 2000s. The businessman believes this first step 'changed his life', and began representing some of the sport's biggest stars after accepting a role with law firm Williams & Connolly.
Cline-Thomas helped the business see off competition to partner with Andre Iguodala, who would go on to become a four-time NBA winner. The entrepreneuer launched the Players Technology Summit six years ago alongside the Golden State Warriors veteran and franchise star Steph Curry.
The partnership with Iguodala led the pair to begin investments into a number of start-up companies, with stakes sometimes as high as six-figure sums. Cline-Thomas co-founded Mastry in 2021, an investment vehicle in San Francisco which it has been claimed will be used to represent his move with United.
Leeds would not represent Cline-Thomas' first step into sport in the UK, having been named as one of the investors backing Argyle Green's purchase of a 20 per cent stake in Plymouth Argyle last summer. The report outlines the businessman is 'expected to cut his ties' in order to avoid a conflict of interest and allow himself to assume a place in the boardroom at Elland Road.
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