Rangers are subject to a takeover led by chiefs at NFL team San Francisco 49ers as they bid to overhaul the Scottish giants, and ex-player Graeme Souness believes Leeds United could soon become a feeder team for the Gers
Graeme Souness has claimed Leeds United could become Rangers’ feeder team if their takeover is completed(Image: Getty Images)
Leeds United could end up becoming Rangers’ feeder club if a consortium involving the San Francisco 49ers is successful in buying the Scottish Premiership side, according to Graeme Souness.
US businessmen Paraag Marathe and Andrew Cavenagh are in talks to buy the Gers in a deal that involves the investment arm of the NFL side the 49ers – who also own Leeds.
There have been talks over a takeover at Ibrox for the last few months but now negotiations are ramping up after businessmen Andy Mason and Les Allan – who were in charge of looking for investors – identified Cavenagh and the 49ers.
Marathe is currently the president of the 49ers Enterprises and the chairman of Leeds and now Souness – who featured 73 times for Rangers and had a spell as player-manager – believes their takeover could see Daniel Farke’s men positioned as the Gers’ feeder team.
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“Any prospective buyer of Glasgow Rangers will quickly understand that they are not just buying a football club – they are buying an institution,” he told the Daily Mail. “If it were to be the 49ers, there’s early talk that Rangers could be a feeder club for Leeds.
“But if they were to take Rangers up a few more rungs, I believe it could be the other way around. There’s such huge potential to take this club to another level.”
Leeds could be in the Premier League next season, with Farke’s men currently second in the Championship table. They will regain top spot if they avoid defeat to Millwall this evening.
San Francisco 49ers chief Paraag Marathe – who is also the chairman of Leeds – is leading the group hoping to buy Rangers
The 49ers are set to take a 51 per cent controlling stake in Rangers should the deal be completed as they look to revamp the club amid their struggles in the Scottish top flight – having fallen 16 points behind Celtic.
Rangers have not won the Scottish Premiership since 2021 under Steven Gerrard – which at the time was their first title in a decade.
According to Mason, the 49ers are the best option for Rangers to help them “upgrade” and compete with Celtic at the top of the table.
“The 49ers bring to the table all the expertise they have in running franchises and that’s gold dust,” he said. “These are precisely the kinds of opportunities that the 49ers have the track record to upgrade.
“They are into fan engagement, data, stadium. American money understands fan engagement, investment in infrastructure, how to monetise a £50million investment. I think this is an opportunity that allows everything at Rangers to be upgraded. It allows the club to come back to the fore. It’s the culture that makes the money, not the money.”
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