Leeds news: Marcelo Bielsa likely to leave and club could be sold if they fail to win promotion to Premier League – reports
Owner Andrea Radrizzani is reportedly banking on a £200million windfall at the end of the season
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is expected to leave Elland Road if the club do not achieve promotion to the Premier League this season, while Andrea Radrizzani will consider selling up, reports claim.
It is understood the owner is relying on an estimated £200million windfall if the Whites go up, without which he would struggle to fund another promotion bid.
And according to the , there are break clauses in Bielsa's contract which make his departure likely if top-flight football is not secured.
The Argentine boss is understood to be earning £3.4million per year - treble that of the next highest-paid Championship manager - with a contract running until 2020.
'El Loco' has become something of a cult hero at Elland Road, with his eccentric personality matching the energetic brand of football on the pitch.
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Leeds are currently third, two points behind Norwich and Sheffield United, and crucially have a game in hand on their promotion rivals.
But staying in the Championship could mean Leeds are forced to generate funds by selling some of their key players, if fresh investment is not forthcoming.
Radrizzani has splashed the cash over the last few years in his attempt to end Leeds' long absence from the Premier League.
The Italian invested £14.5million of his own money during the 2016/17 season, while it is believed he contributed £16million to the 2017/18 campaign.
This level of investment would be difficult to maintain, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Radrizzani's sports broadcast company Eleven Sports UK.
The streaming service recently lost exclusive rights on LaLiga games and is still only available on desktop, mobile or tablet.
In an interview with the New York Times in December, Radrizzani said 'you cannot just keep losing money' when asked about his channel's future without deals in place on pay-TV.