Stefan Borson: Rangers and Leeds primed to join forces in stunning takeover twist
Rangers have faced various issues on and off the field this season after falling further behind Old Firm rivals Celtic.
The Scottish giants have seen various senior executives leave Ibrox, while Philippe Clement was sacked as manager on Sunday (23 February).
Former captain Barry Ferguson has since been appointed as interim boss until the end of the season.
The Glasgow side have been the subject of concrete US takeover interest over the past week.
It has been claimed Rangers could have new ownership by April after talks have taken place with a consortium backed by 49ers Enterprises and Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe.
Finance expert Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider the investment arm of NFL team San Francisco 49ers could be an “interesting buyer”, with Rangers and Leeds potentially entering into a multi-club organisation.
However, the Scottish Football Association’s rules on dual interest state any individual involved in another club must have the governing body’s consent before a deal can be completed.
Rangers face Champions League issue after takeover talks
Borson revealed an issue facing Rangers is their profitability largely depends on how they perform in Europe, with the club struggling to qualify for the Champions League over the past couple of years.
He told Football Insider: “It feels like they would be an interesting buyer.
“If you could put Rangers and Leeds to the extent you could keep them without the conflict, you could put those clubs into some kind of multi-club organisation.
“You have got the Red Bull element as well, which is a complexity at Leeds.
“But it could be an interesting proposition.
“The issue that Rangers have got is that so much of the profitability of the club depends on Europe.
“You can still make £25million from a Europa League win, but it’s really about the Champions League.”
| Rangers shareholders | Shares (%) |
| Dave King | 13 |
| Douglas Park | 11.5 |
| George Taylor | 10.2 |
| Stuart Gibson | 9.5 |
| John Bennett | 7.1 |
| Julian Wolhardt | 6.7 |
| John Halsted | 6 |
Rangers owners bankroll £3m+ injection
A significant investment would secure a majority stake at Ibrox, with former chairman Dave King currently the largest shareholder at 13 per cent.
It was confirmed last week Rangers’ owners bankrolled a £3.6million injection after the club’s financial situation has been firmly in the spotlight over the past few months.
Although the club’s revenue increased from £83.8million to a record-breaking figure of £88.3million in 2023-24, their net losses surged by £4.1million to £17.2million across the same period.
Rangers currently sit 13 points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but they are through to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Fenerbahce for a place in the quarter finals of the competition.
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