The Athletic's Leeds United reporter Phil Hay has admitted that it would be no surprise if French giants PSG's Qatari owners QSI were to invest in the Championship side at some point in the future.

Links between QSI and Leeds first emerged in the summer, when it was claimed that the company's chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, was set to meet with club owner Andrea Radrizzani and manager Marcelo Bielsa to discuss a potential investment in the Elland Road side.

Those links have now surfaced again over the past few days, with French newspaper L'Equipe - via Get French Football News on Twitter - claiming that QSI value Leeds at between somewhere between €60m and €80m, and that talks between the two parties are continuing slowly, but with the potential to accelerate suddenly.

Unsurprisingly, those rumours have once again got Leeds fans talking, with one fan asking Hay for his opinion on the most recent reports, and with the reporter initially claiming that will want more than the figures associated with QSI, given the amount he spent to buy the club and stadium in the first place.

Despite that, Hay did admit when asked by another fan, that the amount of 'smoke' from both sides, means that it would be no surprise if an eventual partnership of some sort between QSI and Leeds did eventually happen 'at some stage', meaning there could still be plenty to happen with these continuing rumours.

Any investment from QSI in Leeds would surely be with the aim of establishing the Yorkshire based club in the Premier League once more, with Leeds not having competed in the top division of English football since 2004.

They are however currently third in the Championship standings, with only goal difference keeping them out of an automatic promotion place, after 15 games of the current season.

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The Verdict

I think this will be a hugely exciting prospect for Leeds fans.

When you look at what QSI have done with Paris Saint Germain - establishing them as the dominant force in French football - you do have to wonder just what they could for Leeds United.

Given the regard with which Hay himself is held by supporters of Leeds, you do feel as though the fact that he himself has suggested here that this is likely to happen, will only increase their confidence that this will eventually go through.

With January looming, you couldn't blame them for hoping that that comes sooner rather than later, in order to get the investment needed to strengthen the squad in the mid-season window to a point where they are capable of getting over the line in the race for promotion.