‘Red Bull invest further at Leeds United’
Red Bull have put more money in Leeds United despite a report suggesting their ownership stake had been diluted.
The energy drink brand was announced as a minority shareholder in May 2024, taking over as the club’s primary shirt sponsor and sparking concerns that they may take over the club from 49ers Enterprises.
But despite the company owning several football clubs, including RB Leipzig in Germany and RB Salzburg in Austria, Red Bull’s involvement within Leeds remains as minority investors.
It was reported on 21 May that the company had declined the opportunity to invest in a new issue of shares that recently injected £120million into Leeds, apparently reducing their stake in the club to below 10 per cent [CityAM].
However, a new report from The Athletic indicates that may not actually be the case.
Red Bull invest further into Leeds with club heading to Premier League
Having claimed a final day 2-1 win over Plymouth to secure their status as Championship champions, Daniel Farke’s side are preparing for their first Premier League campaign since suffering relegation in the 2022/23 season.
As reported, 49ers Enterprises issued £120m worth of new shares to its “vast array of investors”, with plans for the money to be used on the summer’s transfer business and redeveloping Elland Road.
Not all of the investors chose to invest, and as a consequence, their shares in the club were diluted.
But according to The Athletic sources within the club revealed that Red Bull had been one of the investors to pay in “whatever portion of that £120m was necessary to keep its place in the cap table”, thereby retaining the shareholding they held prior to the share issue.
Leeds set to go big in bid for Premier League survival
Football Insider Verdict
Six out of the last six teams to be promoted to the Premier League have been immediately relegated, but Leeds are already signalling they have no plans to suffer the same fate as those before them.
The Whites understand that, despite reaching 100 points this season, that is no guarantee of success in England’s top flight.
| 2024/25 Championship stats | Hamer |
| Appearances | 41 |
| Starts | 36 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Minutes | 3,135 |
The new share issue evidences 49ers Enterprises plans to spend like a Premier League club in the coming transfer window and Pete O’Rourke revealed exclusively to Football Insider Leeds would have a budget of £150million to spend this summer.
With plenty of talent still kicking around in the Championship, Farke’s side may look to sign Gustavo Hamer off the back of his Player of the Season award.
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas could also join Leeds, with the Greek international potentially a casualty of Milos Kerkez’s rumoured switch to the Premier League champions.