Leeds United

Qatar Sports Investments, the state-backed group that controls Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, are reportedly looking to buy a stake in Leeds United, signaling their move into English football.

According to the Financial Times, Leeds are holding talks with six different investors, including QSI. A source said: "Qatar Sports Investments will be entering English Football, and Leeds is the club of their choice. Qatar has been looking into the prospects of entering English Football for the past two years."

Per the report, the Qatari group is seeking as much as a controlling stake in the club, but Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani would prefer to sell a minority stake.

Earlier this month, French newspaper Le Parisien (h/t TalkSport) reported QSI have considered withdrawing their funding from PSG, with their lack of success in Europe cited as a factor. In April, the Telegraph's Jason Burt reported on their interest in purchasing a Championship club. 

Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers were named as potential targets, with the group looking for a club with "potential and a significant fanbase." Leeds United would fit that description.

Three-time champions of England, the Peacocks are something of a sleeping giant who were on the verge of securing Premier League football this season. Led by manager Marcelo Bielsa, the talented side finished the season in third place, six points behind Sheffield United and an automatic promotion spot.

In the play-offs, they beat Derby County 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final tie, only to lose the return leg 4-2. 

On top of their history, Leeds also have a significant fanbase that comes with a reputation for being hated by other supporters (warning: strong language):

Per Ben Jacobs of BeIN Sports, Leeds are an appealing club but don't fit the mold of QSI's usual targets. They also passed on the chance to invest in the club before:

QSI not denying (or confirming) they’re in talks with #LUFC. Club already has partnership with Aspire. However, QSI have TWICE rejected chance to invest in Leeds, both before GFH took over & after. Leeds’ history is of appeal, but QSI like ‘modern’ clubs with full infrastructure

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) May 25, 2019

Leeds have been in the Championship since the 2010-11 season, with this season's third-placed finish their highest since.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has admitted to sending a club employee to spy on Derby County's training session ahead of the Championship clash between the two sides on Friday. 

As reported by BBC Sport, earlier on Friday the Football Association confirmed they had launched an investigation after Derby said a Leeds staff member was caught outside their training ground acting suspiciously.

In the buildup to the game, Bielsa was asked about the spying allegations and offered a candid explanation of the incident, per Sky Sports (h/t James Whaling of the Daily Mirror):

"I am responsible for this incident. It's not about being legal or illegal or right or wrong. Yesterday I talked to Frank Lampard and he told me I didn't respect the club.

"I have my view but what is important is what Lampard and Derby think. I'm responsible for it and didn't ask the permission of Leeds United to do it. I have been using this practice since the qualifications of the World Cup in Argentina. It is not illegal and we have talked about it publicly and in the press."

Here's what Bielsa had to say to Sky Sports in full ahead of the second-tier clash at Elland Road:

WATCH: Marcelo Bielsa admits he was behind #LUFC spy-gate and that he has been using similar tactics for year.

📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football: https://t.co/dLI22fdxp1 pic.twitter.com/MKktATOVnh

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 11, 2019

Derby manager Frank Lampard made it clear he wasn't happy about what had happened:

"I don't care if it is cultural. I am not buying it." 😡

Frank Lampard responds to Marcelo Bielsa admitting to sending a spy to Derby training.

📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football: https://t.co/dLI22fdxp1 pic.twitter.com/qsdQ5tQ9C1

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 11, 2019

On Thursday, the Derby Response Unit posted on social media they had responded to reports of a person at the Rams' training complex:

https://twitter.com/DerbyResponse/status/1083334483024199681

According to John Percy and Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, the man in question was caught with binoculars, a change of clothes and pliers. The latter were reportedly used to force entry into the complex, which is covered by CCTV.

Leeds also published a statement responding to the situation, which acknowledged the wrongdoing and appeared to suggest Bielsa will be discouraged from similar practices in future, via journalist Henry Winter:

Via ⁦@LUFC⁩ pic.twitter.com/HO05kr1MS1

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) January 12, 2019

In an article from The National by Ian Hawkley from 2010, it's suggested Bielsa recruited a boy from his daughter's class at school to check out opponents after the youngster said he knew everything about the game.

"Bielsa took him aside, shut him in a room and grilled him about the game, asking questions with increasingly more obscure answers until he was satisfied the youth knew his stuff," Hawkley wrote. "He then asked him to spy on future opponents, and the lad, known as Paqui, was apparently known to climb trees to monitor rivals' training sessions."

Law was critical of Bielsa's practice on Twitter and believes other managers would face more scrutiny in similar circumstances:

Can't see people trying to pass off this spying story quite so affectionately if it was a team managed by Pulis, Allardyce etc. Bielsa should be called out on this if Leeds guilty.

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) January 11, 2019

The incident is a blemish on what has been shaping up as a season to remember for Leeds, as they seek to get back into the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in 2004. They are top of the Championship ahead of Week 27, two points clear of Norwich City.

Derby are also chasing promotion and are currently on course for a playoff spot, as they sit in sixth in the standings.