Parkin mulls Leeds investment - but ‘there’ll be no full scale buyout’

The businessman, whose estimated wealth is believed to be around £188m, is thought to have held recent talks with Cellino regarding potential investment in the club.

The club’s Italian owner said late last month that he was ready to sell Leeds.

But some media stories of a possible full-scale buy-out are wide of the mark, the YP understands.

Purchasing a significant stake in the club remains a possibility, but that is likely to only arise after considerable due diligence is undertaken and once there is satisfaction regarding the financial performance of the club.

The 54-year-old is a former miner and the man behind one of Yorkshire’s most successful public flotations, Brighouse-based Clipper Logistics.

Parkin is well known to Cellino and was in the crowd at United’s derby game at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

The Middleton-raised businessman is also currently co-owner and a director of National League outfit Guiseley.

Parkin, who started working life as a trainee butcher at Asda, has previously been linked with several bids to take control of United.

Back in the spring of 2013, Parkin entered into two months of negotiations with GFH Capital after agreeing in principle to buy a large stake in the club - subject to due diligence.

But an exclusivity agreement between him and the club owners expired without completion of a sale.

Parkin also claimed he was on the verge of taking control at Leeds before Ken Bates became chairman in 2005 - having lined up then Crystal Palace boss Iain Dowie to take over as manager.

But a potential deal collapsed as his consortium were not allowed to look at the club’s finances before an offer was in place.

At the time, Parkin said that his involvement could have been either as owner, director or “just a beneficiary.”