5 questions Rangers may have asked 49ers at Ibrox from Red Bull and transfers to Leeds United elephant in room

The wheels are beginning to turn with momentum when it comes to the Rangers takeover from the US.

49ers Enterprises - who already own Leeds United - alongside US health insurance tycoon Andrew Cavenagh are closing in on a 51% controlling stake in the club that could be completed by the end of this season or in the summer, as per STV. A recent statement said: “Rangers and its existing controlling shareholders are in productive conversations with the two lead members of the Consortium, Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group, about the potential for the Consortium to acquire control of the club and to inject additional capital. These discussions reflect a shared recognition of the importance of Rangers FC’s long-term direction, ambitions and management.”

A fleet of key players from the American consortium have had a tour around Ibrox and takeover talks, with key topics no doubt addressed. Here are five questions the likes of CEO Patrick Stewart could have put to the 49ers delegation at Ibrox.

Are Red Bull coming to Rangers with 49ers?

Just this week, it was claimed in the Daily Express : “One other thing set to change is the shirt sponsor. Insiders expect the club will soon have the Red Bull logo on shirts, which will not be a huge surprise given the fact the energy drink giant is a major investor in 49ers Enterprises. It is no coincide new Rangers director of football Kevin Thelwell has worked at New York Red Bull in the MLS and the company already sponsors Leeds United, another club owned by the 49ers. One source said any arrangement with Red Bull would be a "record commercial deal" for a Scottish club and the new owners are willing to buy out current deals to pave the way.”

Red Bull are investors in the 49ers so it would appear logical that they would be interested in what they are doing north of the border. How keen Rangers are to get into partnership with them like Leeds United have remains to be seen but it was possibly one topic on the menu.

Who will be next Rangers manager?

The most obvious question, arguably. It does not appear likely that Rangers will move to interim boss Barry Ferguson as their next gaffer full-time with results not improving drastically under his reign and the 49ers may have an idea of who they’d like in charge. Rangers leaders would no doubt like a level of insight to that.

It has been suggested this week that Steven Gerrard is a candidate and Russell Martin has also had a mention but whether or not these two fully come into the fray remains to be seen. CEO Patrick Stewart said when deciding to keep Philippe Clement in February after a Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park: “We have been underperforming as a club for several seasons now, and that’s not down to a manager. We’ve changed the manager, and it’s not made a difference.

“But what I’m doing now is I’m looking at the root causes of that. And until we sort those root causes, then it’s akin to trying to fix a broken house and starting with a ceiling. Instead of starting with the root foundations, I’m going into the foundations and having a really good look at this. So that’s the first reason.”

What transfer budget will Rangers have with 49ers?

There will be huge changes at Rangers going beyond the takeover. Kevin Thelwell is coming in as sporting director after time at Everton and perhaps it is no coincidence that he is also armed with experience at New York Red Bulls. While not at Rangers yet, those currently behind the scenes will want to know what time of additions Rangers will be able to make to the squad this summer and how much the budget can be boosted by this investment. There are also key assets that could be sold in line with their player trading model, like Nicolas Raskin and Hamza Igamane. Is this where the budget will be propped up or will the 49ers look to build around these type of assets?

How will Rangers be impacted by Leeds United?

Paraag Marathe is Leeds United chairman and their technical director, Gretar Steinsson, was another member of the delegation in Glasgow this week for talks on takeover. This will pose a question for fans and perhaps one for key Rangers powerbrokers right now of where 49ers interest is going to fully reside.

Yes, they look to be nearing a new shiny toy in Scotland that could grant them rapid access to UEFA club competitions and a global name within football. But Leeds United have just been promoted back to the Premier League and staying in that division will likely require major investment just to make the team competitive, given relegations suffered by newly promoted sides this season. Perhaps one question could have been on how the investment into Leeds United and Rangers would be differentiated as it remains an unanswered elephant in the room for the moment in the eyes of some.

Will Ibrox Stadium be expanded?

It’s something that was mentioned in reporting earlier this week, that the 49ers will look at increasing the capacity at Rangers. Celtic can get beyond the 50k Rangers can attract just by Parkhead being a bigger venue and chiefs may want to know if the 49ers have expansion plans similar to those Leeds United unveiled this week.

A statement read on concept plans at Elland Road: “Leeds United Football Club is delighted to unveil proposed images for the enhancement of Elland Road. This follows on from the plans outlined in September of 2024, to modernise and improve the stadium.

“Leeds City Council’s Executive Board unanimously agreed the regeneration vision and Councillors will now be discussing the pre-application for the modernisation of Elland Road Stadium at a Plans Panel meeting on Thursday 8th May 2025, with the view to increase the capacity from 37,645 to up to 56,500. The estimated final capacity of the design in progress is approximately 53,000. An evolution of what makes Elland Road great, the revitalisation of the West and North Stands, along with changes to the South Stand, will provide greatly improved general admission and hospitality facilities, to help meet the demand for tickets, with 26,000 supporters currently on the club’s season ticket waiting list.”