Journalist claims 49ers being pressured by Leeds star thanks to Radrizzani

Leeds United are still feeling the full effect of deals made by Andrea Radrizzani despite him having left the club last summer, it has been reported, with players still relying on his old policies.

Whirlwind two years for Leeds United

Following an ill-fated attempt to utilise the US market on the pitch through the use of Jesse Marsch, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, Leeds were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

A month after their drop down to the Championship was confirmed, Radrizzani sold his stake in the club to 49ers enterprises in a deal worth £170m which saw several high profile US sportsmen take up minority stakes.

However, contract decisions made by Radrizzani continued to haunt the Yorkshire side; the likes of Jack Harrison, Marc Roca, Diego Llorente, Max Wober and Rasmus Kristensen were all allowed to leave on loan via clauses in their deals rather than play Championship football, while Tyler Adams had a release clause set at less than the fee paid for him 12 months earlier.

The result was a tricky season for Daniel Farke, in which he almost secured promotion despite the upheaval, and their heavy spending continued to plague them over the summer as they were forced to sacrifice academy talent Archie Gray to comply with financial fair play regulations.

Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter were also handed release clauses in their contracts which were activated by West Ham United and Brighton respectively, leaving Leeds short in attack at the beginning of the season. Now, those questionable deals are having longer-felt effects than expected.

Leeds ace wants special contract clause

That comes amid talk of a new deal for goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who is down to the final two years of his contract at Elland Road as things stand. The Frenchman has been a stalwart between the posts for the Whites since he arrived in Yorkshire in 2020, joining from Lorient.

In that time, he has made close to 200 appearances, and despite some questionable performances he has more than justified Leeds’ initial outlay. Now 24-years-old, he is at a crossroads in his career, and former CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed what the hold up on a potential new deal is.

And it once more goes back to the previous regime, with Meslier keen to receive a similar deal to those before him.

“The 49ers enterprise’s approach is very much that their hands have been a bit tied contractually, and anyone that they negotiate with, they want to try and remove that clause”, Jacobs explained.

“But of course, from the player’s point of view, if you knew the clause existed for others, or you signed a new long-term deal, and I think this is particularly the case, from what I hear, with Meslier, that the player may want to protect themselves against the fact that if Leeds don’t go up, they’re stuck on a long-term deal, and maybe they feel their development is elsewhere. “

While relegation and non-promotion release clauses are nothing new or specific to Leeds, it does seem as though Radrizanni’s heavy-handed use of them could well have some unforseen knock on effects for the 49ers group.