Kieran Maguire has stated Rangers shareholders would require a "significant premium" on share price to sell to American investors.
The football finance expert - who wrote 'The Price of Football' - explained a baseline figure for investment in the club would be £100m, based on a 20p share price. New shares were sold at that price earlier this week.
However, Maguire has stated any fee for the 49ers Enterprises group to takeover at Ibrox would command a significantly higher fee for shares in order to buy-out current powerbrokers.
🔵 "Rangers is an iconic football club with a history and heritage which could attract many American investors" Football finance expert Kieran Maguire assesses a possible takeover by US investors including San Francisco 49ers and Leeds United official Paraag Marathe 🔽 pic.twitter.com/V44lu8I045
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 20, 2025
It's understood talks between Rangers chiefs and 49ers Enterprises - led by Paraag Marethe - have been ongoing for months with the group, who also hold shares in Leeds, keen to invest.
Reports have claimed a deal could be struck in the coming months for the American group to take a major stake in the club with at least two directors appointed to the board.
However, Maguire has warned that investors would have to stump up a major fee to seal their investment before any hopes of a transfer kitty come into fruition.
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"I think the first thing that has to be done as far as the investors are concerned is they have to pay the existing shareholders," Maguire said on Sky Sports.
"We don't know the price that is going to be sought. Currently, Rangers have around about 500m shares in issue.
"They issued some shares yesterday at 20p each so that gives a sort of baseline figure of just over £100m but you'd have to pay a significant premium on that to persuade existing shareholders to sell.
"That is a lot of money that would be going out of the investor's pocket.
"Rangers fans, if the deal goes ahead, would be hoping they would be able to have a transfer kitty which would allow them to challenge on a greater level than that of the position they currently find themselves.
"That is always the case, we have seen similar when we have seen takeovers at clubs such as Aston Villa or Newcastle, when the owners have come in especially if the owners are super wealthy."
