Leeds United are planning to commence their expansion of Elland Road in the very near future, and clarity has been revealed on whether relegation from the Premier League would impact it.
United’s battle to stay in the Premier League could take a huge step one way or the other with tomorrow night’s meeting with West Ham.
Win and the mood lifts drastically. Lose and fans will be worried that the club could be doomed for the drop, which would have repercussions across the club of course.
Most Read on LeedsAllOver
Elland Road expansion update revealed – New proposals set for judgement next week
Leeds submitted planning applications to expand Elland Road back in the summer, but find themselves facing new hurdles to overcome pertaining to transport dilemmas.
City Council documents (shared by LeedsLive) outline that key concerns regarding United’s hopes to expand the stadium could hinge on the council’s satisfaction over its impact on transport in the area.
Leeds United are planning a huge expansion of the West Stand and North Stand very soon.(REUTERS/Scott Heppell)
The City Plans Panel will again comb over proposals once more in a week’s time on Thursday October 30. These transport matters will be high on the agenda.
As for concerns that the expansion process could be delayed, the above report shares that United could be delayed for as much as “another full football season”. May 2026 is the current expected start date.
Would relegation badly impact Leeds United’s chances of expanding Elland Road?
A chief concern for match-going fans wanting to see this expansion materialise is relegation. What use is a proposed 53,000-seater stadium to a Championship club?
The 49ers are aiming to press on regardless of division. Although, journalist Isaac Johnson noted the problems that would be posed by Leeds returning to the EFL in 2026.
What would be affected is Leeds’ interest rates. A recently-relegated Championship would be subject to greater interest rates on loans taken out for the expansion. That is, compared to a much more financially secure Premier League mainstay:
“Getting relegated wouldn’t put a halt to the Elland Road expansion plans. It’d impact interest rates for borrowing – with these always lower for clubs in the PL – but if approved, the proposals would still go ahead.”
Leeds United need to stay in the Premier League to ensure long-term expansion plans are realised
These grand plans appear expected to go through regardless of division. However, we will see much more chance of the expansion being a success if we stay up.
This season is truly vital. If we can stick the landing in the Premier League, our chances of staying up from thereon become much stronger. Revenue and PSR headroom grows away from the Championship, so we’d be better off than promoted teams right away.
Going down would put a real strain on the club’s cashflow, though. Of course, that would hamper the 49ers’ ability to repay these loans as quickly.
Read more: Leeds United aiming to avoid transfer catastrophe with new agreement confirmed…