Phil Hay shares what Paraag Marathe was told about the Red Bull deal if Leeds get promoted

Red Bull will take over from SBOTOP in what is their first foray into English football on the back of their investments in Leipzig and Salzburg among others.

Unlike those clubs, however, Red Bull will not take up a boardroom seat at Elland Road, meaning they have no power to change either the name, stadium or badge.

Despite the controversy that comes with the brand, it certainly looks like a positive move for Leeds, with Football Finance expert Adam Williams also exclusively saying LeedsUnited.News it will give them more freedom in the market.

In the days following the announcement of the Red Bull deal, Marathe spoke to the media about how Red Bull can benefit Leeds in the future.

The Leeds chairman has echoed claims made by Williams that he will help them in the transfer window. He also suggested that their vast network of scouts could benefit Leeds when it comes to identifying potential targets.

And now, on the latest episode of the Square Ball Podcast, the Athletic Hay journalist has shared what else Marathe told him about the deal.

Hay claimed that if Leeds win promotion next season, there will be a “significant increase” in the amount they are worth on an annual basis.

He said: “There was never any doubt when the 49ers came in that they would try to drive Leeds forward as far as possible commercially, that’s what they’re doing.

“Interesting, and this isn’t a surprise, but Marathe said there’s a pretty significant uptick in business as well, when/if they get promoted.

“It will be worth a lot more and given that SBOTOP was somewhere around £7m a year, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Red Bull topped that. It’s a good deal financially.”

Leeds are developing an off-field structure to become a powerhouse

Although the disappointment of missing out on promotion is still there, the 49ers are putting all the foundations in place for Leeds to be a long-term success.

When Leeds were promoted under Andrea Radrizzani, Leeds simply didn’t have the funds or structure to keep improving, which is why they went down.

However, the same cannot be said for the 49ers in charge. Leeds now have a much bigger recruitment squad and are clearly more attractive to potential sponsors.

Hopefully the things being done behind the scenes can be reflected on the pitch so they can really flex their financial muscle as a Premier League club.

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