Kieran Maguire issues ‘huge’ £40m reveal as Leeds United ready to ‘double’ their record
Leeds United will likely rake in £40million in annual matchday income after their stadium expansion project is complete – more than double their previous record.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Whites’ plans to add 18,000 seats to Elland Road.
The Daily Mail reported last Sunday (4 September) that Leeds are making good progress in their bid to boost capacity at their famous old stadium to 55,000.
It is understood that chief executive Angus Kinnear and board member Peter Lowy are spearheading the project.
Maguire calculated how much the West Yorkshire club are set to earn through the turnstiles once the development is complete.
“The most amount of money Leeds have made historically is £18m,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“That compares to the likes of Man United, Spurs and potentially Arsenal as well all exceeding £100m. There is a huge gap and in an FFP environment, this does cause challenges for ambitious clubs like Leeds.
“I think they will want to target the prawn sandwich brigade in terms of what’s on offer at Elland Road.
“It isn’t only going to be about the additional seats, it’s going to be about the quality of products and services that they can offer to commercial partners and with lounges and hospitality.
“I think they would be looking to double their matchday income to around the £40m bracket, Hopefully, they can do that without necessarily increasing prices for the Leeds fans who have turned up throughout the good years and the bad.
“They might feel exploited if this was just used as a price grab by the club.“
In other news, Leeds United and Fulham race to sign Aberdeen sensation Lewis Pirie.