Wild, baseless speculation on my part, but Reinsdorf owns 2 Chicago sports franchises (White Sox and Bulls) and has been reported to be trying to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes. Perhaps he is branching out overseas.
Hmm, yea, probably as good a guess as any - he is the preeminent Chicago-based sports owner after all...
Uhhh, this may be a stupid question, but is the 50 million pound number accurate? Seems pretty cheap for a club that size.
All speculation so far but thats what the rumors are. Leeds ownership is extremely convoluted, technically the club doesn't own Elland Road or the training facilities at Thorpe Arch, though both are suspected to be owned by Ken Bates under different offshore companies. How the legalities and ownership structure would affect the purchase price is anyone's guess, but I don't think 50m sounds too unreasonable.
Still difficult to imagine them being sold for less than the price of one Neymar. It would seem that the merchandising potential for their fanbase alone would be worth that much. Well, now that I'm learning that they don't own Elland Road or their training facilities, I guess that marketing potential is about all they have. So maybe 50 mil isn't so bad. Having said that, I wouldn't personally buy the team without the stadium and training facilities.
Club9 sports? http://www.club9sports.com/ Rumored to be interested in buying Rangers and Sheff Weds before, maybe third times a charm? Yorkshire Evening Post have reached out to them and they have denied interest though. Other rumors suggest someone related to RR Donnelly and Sons.
Football clubs don't really make money, Leeds have had to sell players to turn profits the past two years and thats with some of the highest ticket prices in England. Key thing with Leeds is that they're at leasst debt free (the post-admin company is anyways) so that makes them attractive. $80m seems like a fair price to me for a Championship club, especially considering the investment needed to return to the top flight.
I doubt its Reinsdorf I'm a big Sox and Bulls fan but to be honest he is cheap I highly doubt he will be buying any foreign team.
Andrew Hauptmann (Chicago Fire owner) denies that its him: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...rest-in-leeds-united-20120529,0,1514917.story
Daily Mail says Bates' asking price is 80m http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ells-Canadian-consortium-offer-80m-Leeds.html
According to twitter Jerry Reinsdorf has denied interest. http://twitter.com/PhilHayYEP/status/207880954562363392 There's some baseless speculation about Phil Anschultz at the moment. Dan Snyder name has come up again too.
Could be Matt Hulsizer et al who have now made moves on both the Coyotes and Blues in NHL to no avail.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/spor...ntinues-over-leeds-investment-talks-1-4600361 http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....-us-bidders-in-pole-position-latest-1-4600795
Seems the news has broken that it's Kenneth Griffin of Citadel Investments: http://glorygloryleedsunited.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/is-chicago-based-billoiaire-kenneth.html