Qatar moved a step closer to buying a stake in Championship side Leeds United on Monday after reports emerged of a meeting between club chairman Andrea Radrizzani and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasset Al-Khelaifi.
According to the New York Times , the two are long-standing friends with Al-Khelaifi also the chairman of broadcaster beIN Sports and Radrizzani's background as owner of streaming service Eleven Sports and formerly MP Silva, a company which negotiated television rights.
The pair met in Doha, a claim also corroborated by French daily L'Equipe , to discuss Qatar Sports Investments - the government's sports and entertainment division - purchasing a stake in Leeds, rumoured to be in the region of 15 per cent.
Earlier this year, Radrizzani sold a 10 per cent stake in the club to 49ers Enterprises who are the investment arm of NFL team the San Francisco 49ers.
Leeds, who were play-off chasing rivals of Bristol City throughout last season finishing third in the Championship, would become Qatar's first British club in terms of their sporting investments.
QSI purchased PSG in 2012 and their considerable investment turned the sleeping giant into six-time French champions, while they also own a small Belgian club KAS Eupen as a means of farming young Qatari talent there on loan ahead of the 2022 World Cup which will be hosted in the Gas-rich Gulf state.
The Financial Times were the first to report the prospect of Qatar buying into Leeds on May 25, a move which could have huge rammifications on the Championship next season and beyond.
Leeds are already considered 9/4 favourites to earn promotion next season, having come close this term and retained the services of manager Marcelo Bielsa.
But with a large-scale financial commitment from QSI they would comfortably be the richest club in the league with a huge fanbase and almost limitless resources in the context of the rest of the division.
Radrizzani warned only last week that Leeds fans should prepare for a "difficult summer" as the club look to comply with EFL's Financial Fair Play rules but a fresh wave of investment would drammatically change that tone.
The Telegraph reports, however, that Leeds are not the only club being considered by QSI as they seek to get a stake in the lucrative television deals on offer in the Premier League as well as further promote the Gulf state before the World Cup, a tournament which has been beset by controversy over the country's human rights record and suitability of hosting it.
