Rangers address San Francisco 49ers takeover bid as club issue response to 'speculation'

It has been claimed that negotiations between the Rangers board and a US-based consortium fronted by the $6 billion NFL franchise have reached an advanced stage.

The consortium, backed by 49ers Enterprises president and Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe as well as other wealthy investors in the US, has reportedly been in talks since last year to become the Ibrox club’s single biggest shareholder.

49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of San Francisco 49ers, first invested in Leeds in 2018 and increased its stake from 15 per cent to 44 per cent in 2021 before completing a £170m deal to buy the club outright in 2023. Marathe is listed by Forbes as having a personal worth of around £4.7billion.

A move into the Scottish football market would require the approval of the Scottish Football Association, who allowed the owners of Bournemouth - Bill Foley’s Black Knight Group - to purchase a 25 per cent stake in Hibs last year after relaxing its rules on dual ownership.

Rangers have addressed the takeover talk for the first time with a club spokesman stating: “It is not our policy to comment on speculation. If there were any such discussions, these would remain confidential.”

Rangers are lagging significantly behind Celtic both on and off the pitch with the financial gulf between the two clubs growing ever wider. Celtic, who recently posted a £43.9million pre-tax profit for the six months to December 31, 2024, broke their transfer record twice last summer while Rangers embarked on squad rebuild driven by the need to reduce the wage bill after posting a £17m loss last year.

However, if an agreement can be reached between Rangers and 49ers Enterprises before the end of the season it could open the door to a major cash injection which would allow for some much-needed investment in the first-team playing squad. Rangers would also gain access to data-driven recruitment technology and new commercial opportunities in the US.

Any takeover would require shareholder approval while Rangers fractured ownership structure would make any deal complicated with Dave King, the largest single shareholder, owning 13 per cent, Douglas Park 12 per cent and various other directors owning 10 per cent or less.