It appears that everyone linked to Leeds United’s Andrea Radrizzani is chipping in to try and save Sampdoria from going under.
That’s according to Calciomercato, who have a lengthy article on the situation, and back up previous claims that QSI have also joined to help out.
They explain that Andrea Radrizzani’s Aser Ventures, Matteo Manfredi’s Gestio Capital, supported by the Qataris are now in ‘crucial hours and feverish meetings’ to sort out a deal for Sampdoria.
QSI are expected to ‘enter as a minority shareholder’ alongside the Leeds United owner and Manfredi, but that’s not it, as there could be more, because the San Francisco 49ers could also join the fray.
The NFL side, through 49ers Enterprises, hold 49% of Leeds United moment in time, to whom Radrizzani is trying to sell his shares.
If that goes through and the 49ers also join in the Sampdoria deal, then the two clubs could ‘enter into a sort of sporting and strategic-financial partnership’ that could benefit both going forward.
Regarding the purchase of the Serie A side, it’s said that the ‘last known proposal’ was one of €55m ‘in addition to the €40m necessary for the ordinary management of the club’.
That would be ‘financed by the banks’, which was an obstacle, but the emergence of QSI ‘should reassure the creditors’.
This should also allow Sampdoria to plan for the future ‘without worries’, with an aim of returning to Italy’s top-tier after two seasons, since they are already relegated to Serie B.
Everyone is currently ‘at work’ to get a deal done, and despite some competition, it’s said the Leeds owner ‘swept the table’, as he will ‘pay the guaranteed bank debts in full and will offer creditors compensation between 50 and 60% of the amount owed’.
This is seen as ‘unbeatable proposals’, and Radrizzani is currently ‘trying to close the agreement’ with Massimo Ferrero, the current majority shareholder, by speaking to the trustee, Gianluca Vidal, and he hopes to close it as soon as possible, ‘possibly by tomorrow morning’.
To do this, he will need to pay Ferrero a fee of around €20m, payable in two or three instalments.
The hopeful deadline of tomorrow is due to a meeting set to take place tomorrow at 3pm local time ‘to decide on the vital capital increase needed to keep the club alive’.
