Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has hailed Leeds United for their 'risky' transfer strategy and the partnership with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Whites spent heavily in the summer after ending a long-awaited return to the Premier League, splashing a club-record fee to land Rodrigo from Valencia as well as signing the likes of Diego Llorente and Robin Koch.
While other clubs have spent heavily after promotion and struggled to find their footing, Leeds have taken to the top-flight well and look like a sure-fire bet to maintain their top-flight status next season.
Maguire believes a large part of that is down to the off-field structure in place at the club, as he declared them to be the best-run club in the division.
“The right balance is getting a squad that can keep you from relegation, so you have to work out where you need to strengthen,” he told Football Insider.
“Then, it’s a case of where is the money going to come from. If you try to self-finance, you end up with the Burnley model, which is recruiting in a particular field.
“So they aim for players who are experienced in the bottom end of the Premier League, or top end of the Championship. They are the best-run club in the Premier League financially.
“If the owner has ambitions, like Leeds, then they’ve got to be prepared to put the money in or find partners who are willing to put the money in as well. Leeds have done that by making deals with the likes of San Francisco 49ers. Radrizzani has been open about being willing to take on external investment.
“As we’ve seen with the budget, it’s precarious. Haller, Wesley, Joelinton are all examples of spending large amounts of money and getting next to nothing in return. So Leeds’ strategy always comes with a degree of risk.
“But I think they’ve got the balance right this season. They’ve clearly got a particular style of play, they’ve recruited players into that style and they’re a breath of fresh air.”
