Former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is preparing a return to football club ownership, with details emerging of a new takeover bid backed by American capital ahead of an impending 31 October deadline.

According to an exclusive broadcast report from Italian regional television channel TeleReggio during their To Be Reggiana show, the former Elland Road supremo is leading one of three major proposals to purchase Italian Serie C outfit AC Reggiana.

Andrea Radrizzani’s new takeover bid is very similar to his Leeds United blueprint

For Leeds United supporters who monitored Radrizzani’s six-year tenure at Elland Road, the details surrounding his bid for Reggiana will feel unmistakably familiar.

TeleReggio revealed that Radrizzani’s bid is backed by two US investment funds – a corporate structure that mirrors his early strategic partnership with 49ers Enterprises at Elland Road before their eventual full buyout in 2023.

Furthermore, Radrizzani is reportedly the only suitor insisting on acquiring the club’s real estate assets, specifically targeting the Via Agosti training facility. This directly reflects his initial blueprint at Leeds United, where one of his first major acts as chairman in 2017 was buying back Elland Road to bring the stadium infrastructure under official club ownership.

Radrizzani is linked as ‘an old acquaintance’ who was the first to want to buy the club last season. Backed by two American funds, he is the one who would also want to purchase the training grounds on Via Agosti, according to TeleReggio.

Radrizzani is competing against Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois for Reggiana

Radrizzani’s attempt to revitalise the Serie C side faces fierce, high-profile competition ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Among the three offers on the table is Spanish investment group NXTPLAY, famously spearheaded by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois alongside entrepreneur Gonzalo Vila.

NXTPLAY has built a rapidly growing multi-club portfolio across European football, having already secured stakes in Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk, French club Le Mans, and Spanish outfit CD Extremadura.

The third proposal comes from an Italian-American group that has pledged immediate operating liquidity alongside a guaranteed multi-million budget for the January transfer window.

As Reggiana struggle on the pitch in Serie C under manager Attilio Tesser, the club’s board and majority shareholder must decide whether Radrizzani’s US-backed infrastructure model or Courtois’ multi-club vehicle provides the strongest foundation moving forward.

Radrizzani remains an infamous figure at Leeds United, with fans upset at the former chairman for attempting to use Elland Road in his 2023 takeover of Sampdoria, which he left the following year anyway.