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Andrea Radrizzani discusses enormous Leeds wage bill

that Leeds United are spending an enormous £40million a season on wages, and The Italian supremo has claimed that it is “not sustainable”.

Leeds pulled off a major coup in the summer of 2018 by bringing in Marcelo Bielsa as manager. The Argentine is renowned in world football as one of the most inventive minds in the game, admired by the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola.

But to bring the former Argentina and Athletic Bilbao manager to Elland Road was not cheap. Now in his second season, Radrizzani revealed that the Leeds gaffer – and his coaches – are earning £6million a year, or £115,000 a week.

Leeds owner Radrizzani has claimed that the entire Leeds wage bill, including the wages of players and coaching staff combined is a whopping £40million – and the Italian does not believe that it is sustainable, unless they gain promotion.

(Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)

“The club makes losses, in this league it is impossible not to. We are still paying the consequences of my first year because I was inexperienced and we made some expensive mistakes with players,”

“But we haven’t stopped investing. Bielsa and his staff cost £6 million [a year], we bought many other players and I think we have a squad to be promoted. It’s financially not sustainable to keep this level of salary which is now over £30 million, probably £33 million with Marcelo and closer to £40 million with the coaches.”

TBR’s view – Leeds need to get promotion this season

Radrizzani also admitted that his close friend and Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser al-Khelaifi is one of three investors being considered, and bringing in some money is crucial.

Whether that injection of cash will come this season, though, remains to be seen. Gaining promotion will make Leeds a much more tempting proposition to investors – and certainly promotion will see Bielsa remain beyond the summer.

Failing to get promotion for another year may see Leeds struggle to keep investors keen. Bielsa is likely to leave, and it could see Leeds have to rebuild again.

(Photo by Rich Linley – CameraSport via Getty Images)