Reports are growing that Cagliari President Massimo Cellino has sealed a deal to buy Leeds United.
Reports are growing that Cagliari President Massimo Cellino has sealed a deal to buy Leeds United.
It had already been suggested negotiations were at an advanced stage in the Daily Mail, but La Gazzetta dello Sport and the Corriere dello Sport both claim the deal for the Championship club is essentially complete.
This is not the first time Cellino has tried to invest in English football, as there was a failed attempt to buy West Ham United.
Cellino is one of the greatest ‘characters’ in Italian football, even though he lives in Miami.
Last year he spent several days in prison in Sardinia, accused of fraud for the construction of the Is Arenas stadium, which was later torn down for not having the requisite permits.
He is prone to outlandish public statements and can often be seen in the stands chain-smoking while watching Cagliari play.
He also inaugurated the opening of the Is Arenas by playing guitar and singing, as he is part of a band in his spare time.
Last season Cagliari’s game with Roma was called off by authorities after Cellino urged fans to attend even though it was due to be played behind closed doors, sparking public order fears.
If Cellino does buy Leeds United, questions will inevitably be asked on what this means for Cagliari, as he has expressed increasing frustration with the stadium situation.
After a year of travelling around the country without having a home stadium, the local council granted Cagliari the use of the Stadio Sant’Elia, but with reconstruction work very slow only 5,000 fans are allowed in at a time.
Cellino said before Christmas that he could no longer hold back the careers of players like Radja Nainggolan in these conditions and sold the Belgium international midfielder to Roma.