Dave King and John Bennett update as ‘Rangers takeover to spark mass exodus’
Rangers could be set for a mass exodus in the boardroom following the news of the San Francisco 49ers’ potential takeover at Ibrox, according to the Daily Mail.
The bid is being backed by Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, who also leads the 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the American franchise.
With Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen working with a much lesser budget than that of their Old Firm rivals Celtic, the Light Blues have struggled on and off the pitch in recent seasons.
Since Patrick Stewart’s appointment as chief executive, there have been slight changes at the very top for the Gers, but Clement still being in charge has caused the most fury amongst fans.
Being 13 points behind the Hoops in the Scottish Premiership table has caused a lot of frustration this season, but there could be major changes above him instead before the manager is sacked.
| Scottish Premiership table | Goal difference | Points total |
| Celtic | +64 | 69 |
| Rangers | +34 | 56 |
| Aberdeen | -5 | 38 |
John Bennett and Dave King both set for Rangers exits
A source told the Mail [19 February] that Fraser Thornton, recently appointed chairman and Stewart could be the only surviving boardroom members at Ibrox.
It is understood that several key shareholders could be open to offers, including John Bennett who stood down as chairman last year due to health reasons, Julian Wolhardt and John Halsted.
Bennett has shown no desire to return to the fray in Glasgow, with Dave King thought to be keen on offloading his share as a potential takeover looms at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement desperate for investment on the pitch
Football Insider verdict
Clement has been put in an awful predicament, with only a couple of million spent on adding Jefte, Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande, Robin Propper, Nedim Bajrami, and star striker Hamza Igamane to the Rangers squad.
The Belgian’s appointment was greeted with a lot of excitement at the very start, but with the club announcing a pre-tax loss of £17.3million past year, the situation could not be much worse.
New investment could create an incredible atmosphere at Ibrox, and even help Clement to steady the ship, and supporters have been begging for changes right at the very top of the food chain.
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic have set the precedent in Scotland, even after being knocked out of this year’s Champions League, giving the San Francisco 49ers something to aim for once their takeover is complete.