Leeds United was SA tourism's first EPL target before Tottenham as deal debate rages on

Leeds United, News24 has learned, is the other team South African Tourism had initially approached for sponsorship purposes in the English Premiership.

This came in light of the entity's proposed plans for a three-year deal worth £42.5 million (about R900 million) starting at the beginning of the 2023/24 English Premier League season and ending at the end of the 2026/27 season with North London-based English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds United, who were out of the Premiership for 16 years, have a sizeable following in South Africa, with the club's South African endearment note being former Bafana captain Lucas Radebe and the late Phil Masinga.

SABC Sport also reported that there was an approach to sponsor Chelsea, something that SA Tourism acting chief executive Themba Khumalo said he wasn't aware of.

Khumalo, at Thursday's press conference, said another deal was on the table before the Tottenham one.

READ | SA Tourism forging ahead with near-R1 billion Spurs sponsorship 'conditionally' as criticism mounts

Khumalo didn't reveal the name of the potential suitor but said the deal was scuppered by the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which would've made it untenable publicly.

"I received a call with regards to a Chelsea deal, and I raised both my hands, and I said I have never seen it," Khumalo said.

"I have seen a completely different team, but not the one that is being referred to. So, have we received another team? Yes, we have.

"Is it the one that's been referred to? No. I haven't seen it. Maybe it's been seen by a colleague of mine, but has it been formally presented to us as an option? No.

"We wouldn't be able to speak on behalf of the department, and I think the director general would be able to speak to that.

"I