Leeds: Wanting to sack Jesse Marsch and sell Jack Harrison – Extent of crisis revealed 

Leeds United’s chaotic season has been laid out in a series of revelations, including the club’s owner being talked out of sacking Jesse Marsch – twice – and US stakeholders intervening to stop Jack Harrison joining Leicester.

The Yorkshire side have three games remaining – Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham – to stave off relegation, but the signs look ominous, despite the appointment of relegation firefighter Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce is the fourth person in Leeds’ dugout since February and The Athletic have now detailed the chaos that has engulfed their season. 

Owner Andrea Radrizzani, who once proclaimed he wanted to take Leeds back into European football by the time he sells his 56 per cent majority stake, was confident in pre-season that another flirt with relegation would be ‘impossible’.

The reality is they probably need two wins from three now to survive, or they will drop back to the Championship, a league they only escaped from three years ago.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani (right) has endured a miserable season fighting relegation

Sam Allardyce is the fourth man in the dugout since February, after Jesse Marsch was sacked

The Athletic’s report details how Radrizanni was eager to sack manager Jesse Marsch in October last year following defeats to Leicester and Fulham.

Marsch was reprieved, with Radrizanni reported to have been talked out of the idea. 

What followed was a training ground rallying cry from Radrizzani, with it claimed that some players felt it was so passionate in defence of Marsch that the American was going to land a new deal off the back of it. 

Marsch survived through the World Cup break but was later axed in the first week of February. 

Radrizzani currently owns 56 per cent of Leeds and is therefore the majority stakeholder and key decision maker.

But he alone does not have total autonomy, as highlighted by his desire to cash in on Jack Harrison in January.

Leicester were keen on Harrison and a £22million offer was no doubt appealing for a player that was set to be out of contract in 2024.

The Athletic claim ‘tensions simmered’ between Radrizanni and director Victor Orta, who has since left the club, over Harrison, and US investors 49ers Enterprises –  the investment arm of NFL team, San Francisco 49ers – waded in to keep Harrison from joining a relegation rival.

49ers Enterprises owns 44 per cent of Leeds, slowly building that stake up. They started with an initial 10 per cent in 2018.

The row over Harrison – who travelled to Leicester’s training ground – was labelled ‘clumsy’ as Radrizzani was convinced to keep the winger and tie him down to a new contract. 

Since that point Michael Skubala’s three-game interim spell has passed, Javi Gracia lasted 71 days and Orta has been given the boot for a series of miserable managerial appointments.

Javi Gracia (left) lasted 71 days and there was reportedly a stand-off between ownership in January over whether to sell star winger Jack Harrison (right) to Leicester City for £22m

Allardyce was unable to spark much life into Leeds as they predictably lost to champions-in-waiting Manchester City, meaning this weekend’s home game against top four-chasing Newcastle is mammoth. 

Wins for Nottingham Forest and Everton on Monday have only increased the pressure. 

Interestingly for Leeds going forward, The 49ers hold an option to buy Radrizzani out by January 2024.

It is claimed that the group are targeting a full takeover by July 1 should Leeds pull off a great escape and retain their Premier League spot. 

But, should Leeds suffer relegation, it has been a series of ‘clumsy’ calls which will come back to bite them.