Bahraini royal said to be part of Leeds takeover bid
A member of the Bahraini royal family has been named as a key figure among Middle East investors keen to take over English football club Leeds United.
Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, the man who led a failed takeover of Leeds United in 2003, is reportedly part of a consortium close to completing a deal for Championship side Leeds.
Al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling dynasty, was part of a consortium including representatives from Saudi Arabia and Asia who failed to push through a takeover deal just under a decade ago, the Yorkshire Post reported.
And according to Bahraini newspaper Gulf Weekly, friends of the Sheikh, a life-long Leeds fan, said he was currently visiting Europe and was unavailable to comment.
A successful takeover would follow hot on the heels of Nottingham Forest’s sale to the Al Hasawi family from Kuwait.
Leeds said in a statement: “Leeds United can confirm they have granted an exclusivity period to enable a potential investor to carry out the appropriate due diligence
“It is anticipated this will be a fairly straightforward process. A confidentiality clause prevents the club from making any further comment.
The statement did not mention the value of the potential deal or names of anyone involved.
