Rangers takeover: ‘My Ibrox sources are telling me interesting things about 49ers deal’
Rangers fans will be looking forward to the completion of the 49ers Enterprises takeover and the potential to close the gap to rivals Celtic.
The Ibrox club are expected to forge a close partnership with Leeds United after the deal goes through – with the English Championship side also owned by the 49ers.
A deal to make the US-based investors the new majority owners at Rangers was agreed in principle in March and the process is now underway.
This season, the Gers are second in the Scottish Premiership and will be trophyless unless they can pull off unlikely triumph in the Europa League.
Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has shared a concerning takeover update after speaking to Rangers sources.
’49ers looking at Rangers as a business transaction’, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness revealed the 49ers “don’t understand” the “fanbase and religious connotations” at Ibrox.
The ex-Aberdeen, Aston Villa and Everton chief claimed the US investors are looking at a deal for Rangers purely as “a business transaction” right now.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I’m hearing some very interesting things from my sources at Rangers this week.
“They’re saying that the 49ers are looking at this like a business transaction, they don’t really get what they’re going into – in terms of the fans, the sectarian situation and the religious connotations.
| Position | Team | Played | Points | GD |
| 1 | Celtic | 33 | 81 | 75 |
| 2 | Rangers | 33 | 66 | 33 |
“The Rangers fanbase have a massive passion.
“It’s alright to see it occasionally, but you’ve really got to live in it and get to know it if you’re going to invest like this.
“It’s an unusual beast and it’s very powerful. What I’m hearing is that the 49ers don’t quite understand that side of it.”
Celtic and Rangers race to sign English sensation
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (15 April) that Celtic and Rangers have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace’s England youth international Jesse Derry.
Clubs across Europe have also contacted the Palace starlet, 17, after being alerted that he had rejected the offer of a professional contract at Selhurst Park.
Football Insider revealed in February that Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have all watched him in action.
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