Leeds United announced on Friday that Angus Kinnear is set to leave the club at the end of the campaign, with the CEO set to join Premier League side Everton.
Everton have new ownership and a restructuring behind the scenes includes bringing Kinnear in. However, Leeds United themselves have been under new ownership for just under two years now following the full takeover of 49ers Enterprises during the summer of 2023.
The 49ers took full control of the Whites following their relegation from the Premier League, with Kinnear part of the process for the club who needed someone to help oversee 49ers Enterprises transition in once a majority takeover was confirmed.
Kinnear joined the club in 2017 and has been a part of promotion before under Andrea Radrizzani, with the CEO remaining until the end of 2024/25 to help with Leeds’ potential promotion back to the Premier League before he departs.
Leeds are still well-placed to return at the second time of asking under Daniel Farke, sitting top of the table despite talk of a Leeds “choke” after a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Sunday.
Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Angus Kinnear intends to take Leeds staff to Everton this summer
Kinnear will have spent eight years at Elland Road by the time he moves, along with Everton, into the new stadium at Bramley Moore.
Mike Keegan of The Daily Mail reported that he had been identified as the number one candidate by TFG, who enlisted the help of renowned recruiters Nolan Partners. However, the switches from Elland Road may not end there for Everton.
Kinnear is planning on taking some of his Leeds backroom team with him to the Toffees. That is according to Alan Nixon’s Patreon, which claims Kinnear could take two or three key faces in his behind-the-scenes switch.
Nixon reports that he plans to orchestrate an exodus and that there is “trouble brewing”, with Kinnear set to cause disruption ahead of a potentially pivotal season for the Championship side in 2025/26 if they are a Premier League side.
Kinnear is not the only important name to have left Leeds lately, with Technical Director Gretar Steinsson joining the 49ers as Technical Director, while Jordan Miles left his role as Head of Recruitment to be replaced by Alex Davies.
Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Many fans will be happy to see the back of Kinnear after Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta’s departures, even if Kinnear helped the 49ers settle in at Elland Road. That’s because, long-term, he is a reminder of the shortcomings of the previous ownership.
With Leeds on course for Premier League football, they may wish to move in a new direction of their own with different faces behind the scenes, which will include replacing Kinnear to end the Radrizzani-era association entirely for the current regime.
Waiting until the end of the season allows for a period of recruitment and replacing him in the meantime, with the West Yorkshire outfit intending to review their management structure but they now have time until the end of the season for a smooth handover process.
Leeds must ensure promotion in the meantime, which is their main focus for the rest of 2024/25. The club are in a fantastic position, even if Championship results saw the gap close on Leeds after a frustrating defeat to Pompey.