Graeme Souness reacts to Rangers takeover news after what’s happened at Hearts
Rangers are closing in on a takeover from 49ers Enterprises, which should aid their ability to challenge at the top, but they are not the only club set for improvement.
Rangers have endured a miserable season as Celtic continued their dominance over the Scottish Premiership, and unless they improve, the level of competitiveness in the division will continue to shrink.
However, Rangers are set for a new era once their takeover goes through, with the 49ers aiming to rebuild the club at all levels.
Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts are also set for an investment by Brighton owner Tony Bloom, and this could benefit a lot of clubs in Scotland, according to Graeme Souness.
Souness praises investment into Hearts and Rangers
Rangers legend Souness has now claimed that Bloom’s investment into Hearts, and the 49ers investing into the Gers, will be positive for Scottish football overall.
“The prospect of Brighton owner Tony Bloom buying into Hearts can only be good for Scottish football,” Souness wrote in the Daily Mail (10 May, page 5).
“Here is a guy who seems to have got the infrastructure right over the past decade in finding a method to recruit well and finding real talent to compete at the top level.
“If this happens, it’s going to improve the competition.
| Rangers – 2024-25 | Progress |
| Scottish Premiership | 2nd |
| Scottish Cup | Fifth round |
| League Cup | Runners-up |
| Europa League | Quarter-finals |
“Similarly with Rangers, and the potential investment from the 49ers Group who own Leeds, I believe tapping into the know-how from people who have made steps up in English football can only improve Scotland’s competition.”
Increased competition will benefit Rangers
Right now, Celtic’s dominance at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and the lack of competitiveness in the league, is making the overall product worse.
There is little outside interest in the Scottish domestic game, given that no other club beyond Rangers seems capable of remotely challenging Celtic.
Should Hearts and Rangers both improve, creating a more competitive league, viewership will increase, and this will eventually lead to increased sponsorship and TV funding.
With increased funding from investment and from higher interest in the Scottish league, Rangers may find that they have the means to consistently compete at the top of the table.
The 49ers investing into Rangers is therefore a positive for Scottish football as well, as a competitive Rangers team will mean that there is a lot more interest in the league overall.