Leeds United fans will be hoping that The 49ers can find more success in the transfer market this summer than Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta managed during the summer of 2022.
That window saw Leeds sell Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips for a combined £100m, spending the cash on numerous areas of the squad to try and improve as a whole. It completely backfired, ending in relegation.
Orta and Radrizzani signed players with no Premier League experience in 2022. Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Rasmus Kristensen all joined without experiencing the Premier League.
This summer, it feels different. The kind of players Leeds are being linked with know all about England’s top tier and now, Adam Pope has made an exciting comparison between Radrizzani and The 49ers.
Photo by Pat Scaasi | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPope makes financial comparison between Radrizzani and 49ers
Having earned adulation, Radrizzani ruined it by popping off to buy Sampdoria, his woeful recruitment in his final season and some suggestions he even used Elland Road in his purchase of the Serie B club.
Marathe and The 49ers meanwhile, are well-liked by Leeds fans. There have been question marks like the decision to bring in RedBull and maybe sacking Daniel Farke, but on the whole there is a feel-good factor.
Speaking to BBC Sport on Tuesday, Pope said The 49ers have “deeper pockets” and more cash ready to go on new players than Radrizzani did which is proven in their improving of the squad and the stadium.
“The 49ers have already shown they have access to key investors, so their ability to corral capital together to improve the squad and the stadium is far greater than Radrizzani’s. They have deeper pockets.”
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
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There is pressure on Marathe to spend this summer. He says Leeds will spend every penny available to improve the squad and keep the Yorkshire side in the Premier League – seemingly within the rules.
Others have chosen to go beyond those rules and take the hit – most notably, Nottingham Forest. Hay is also confident The 49ers have more cash than Radrizzani did, largely thanks to RedBull’s investment.
Whatever the situation and who has more money readily available, Leeds need to be wise in the way they spend it. They need to buy the right players to keep Leeds in the top tier and allow The Whites to build.