Rangers set for ‘ambitious’ appointment after 49ers takeover – Fabrizio Romano
Rangers are set for sweeping changes across the board if 49ers Enterprises’ takeover at Ibrox is greenlit in the coming months.
The American group – the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers and also owners of Leeds United – have been in talks with Rangers’ hierarchy over recent months and a full agreement is said to be close.
Rangers have already hit fast-forward on the decision 49ers Enterprises would have had to make regarding Philippe Clement’s future at Ibrox, sacking the Belgian on Sunday after a 2-0 loss to St Mirren.
Clement has since been replaced by Barry Ferguson in temporary charge, and though the Ibrox legend won his first match in charge on Wednesday, Rangers aren’t rushing into a permanent appointment yet.
Fabrizio Romano outlines 49ers manager pursuit at Rangers
With Ferguson and his team of legends, including Alan McGregor and Billy Dodds, in charge until the end of the season, the 49ers’ takeover is likely to coincide with the managerial role becoming vacant again.
The 49ers, however, are likely to lead the charge for a high-profile appointment, and writing in his column for GiveMeSport (26 February), journalist Fabrizio Romano reported what their plans will be.
He said: “This [decision] is an open possibility. It also depends on managers available, not only [on the] 49ers if they can get [their] takeover done.
“For sure they’re ambitious, but it’s not something guaranteed at this stage.”
Rangers line up out-of-work managers for statement hire
Though Rangers fans would love nothing more than to pluck a high-profile manager from another club and the 49ers to flex some financial muscle, there remains a number of candidates on the open market.
Some of those have already been mooted with a move to fill the vacancy at Ibrox – not least Steven Gerrard, the last Gers manager to achieve any tangible success in the form of the 2020/21 Premiership.
| Club | Tenure | Matches | Win percentage | Honours |
| Rangers | 2018 – 2021 | 193 | 63.8 per cent | 2020/21 Premiership |
| Aston Villa | 2021 – 2022 | 40 | 32.5 per cent | – |
| Al-Ettifaq | 2023 – 2025 | 59 | 39.0 per cent | – |
Rangers hired Clement as a free agent having seen their gamble to bring in Michael Beale from QPR backfire, but with 49ers Enterprises set to transform their finances, that approach could change.
Gers fans have been warned that the 49ers’ takeover won’t result in a quick fix at Ibrox, but new ownership and a clean slate after years of churn and financial difficulty will be welcomed by supporters.