Those rumours linking Massimo Cellino with gazumping Sports Capital's deal to gain control of the club have grown significantly stronger today with Italian sources saying the Sardinian will shortly complete a €50m deal to take over at Elland Road, meanwhile reports elsewhere will make grim reading for Paddy Kenny and Brian McDermott with suggestions that Cellino has already lined up a new keeper and a manager.

Gazetta Della Sport today predicted that like Watford, owned by the Pozzo family, Leeds will soon be speaking Italian, with a cash plus equity deal on the horizon which will effectively oust the consortium led by current MD David Haigh and which includes Andrew Flowers, the owner of our sponsors Enterprise Insurance, who seemed to be the new owners in waiting over Christmas and New Year but since has seen the deal stall.

Still the rumours won't harm the share value of GFH Capital who reportedly saw a surge following speculation they were about to cash in on their prized assett.

Surely if GFH accepted a bid rival to the one involving Haigh, then Haigh's position as MD would become untenable? Others on the Elland Road payroll who may be nervously contemplating their futures are Brian McDermott and Paddy Kenny.

Stories originating from Italy claim that Cellino has already approached 46-year-old Massimiliano Allegri, who was sacked by AC Milan earlier this season, to take over from McDermott and betting has been suspended on QPR's Julio Caesars next club with Leeds reportedly his next destination.

If these stories are nothing but fanciful nonsense, then Leeds would do well to release a statement reassuring fans that the protracted talks with Haigh's Sports Capital are ongoing at the very least. The longer they leave it the more likely these stories will emerge.

Photo: Action Images

TimWhelan added 21:55 - Jan 23 Is Cellino's bid the reason for the unspecified difficulties that have held up the negotiations between GFH and Haigh's consortium? Did GFH refuse to sanction the Ashley Barnes transfer because they knew that a new manager would be coming in with his own ideas of which players to sign? I hope not, because Cellino is a comic figure in many ways, but the joke would be on us. I'll leave the last word to a Cagliari who posted this in response to the Daily Mail's article yesterday. "I can assure you that all Cellino cares about is money. If he takes over your club he will milk it like is he doing in Cagliari. We have been trying to get of him for the last 20 years. GOOD LUCK!"

-1

Bluesman1 added 22:05 - Jan 23 At the end of the day any club relies on it's supporters! Bates only lasted so long because of all the smoke and mirrors he used, but when the gates went down he was left floundering in hostile 'waters'. No one can be as bad as Bates and I would not be too concerned about Cellino he doesn't want to damage his reputation on a failing club. Let's just see what happens.

0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Watford Polls