Massimo Cellino will not sell Leeds United and refuses to back manager

Massimo Cellino says he has no intention of selling Leeds and refused to say whether he would be keeping Neil Redfearn as head coach.

Cellino returned to office on May 3 after serving a Football League ban on the back of a tax evasion conviction in Italy, and says he has spent the last fortnight reacclimatising himself with the club.

The arrival of Adam Pearson as the club's new executive director has led to speculation that Cellino may be looking to sell the club, but the ex-Cagliari owner insisted that was not the case.

Speaking about his intentions for Leeds, Cellino said: "If in two seasons' time I'm not ready to take the club to the Premier League, I'm going to sell it.

"The club is not for sale, if we are not ready to be in the Premier League, I will sell it. To sell the club you need six months to do due diligence. What would we do for six months if I was selling the club?"

He eventually agreed to answer questions on Redfearn, having initially asked for them to be left until the end.

The 49-year-old oversaw a run of eight wins in 13 games to keep United in the Championship before a tumultuous ending to the campaign, which saw the unexplained removal of his assistant, Steve Thompson, and injuries being sustained by six of Cellino's signings on the eve of an away match at Charlton.

"I don't need to justify my decision. I need to choose the best coach for this club," he said of the ongoing confusion about Redfearn's situation.

"Is Neil best for the future? Are you sure that he's good or is it that you're a coward with the fans because you won't change it?"

The Italian continued to skirt around the issue, accusing the media of being "agents" for Redfearn, before Pearson stepped in.

"The owner has invested a lot of money and has the right to make that decision in an orderly manner," he said.