Rangers takeover: Scottish giants wanted by American investors in £150m deal

Glasgow Rangers are attracting takeover interest from American investors who value the club at around £150m, with a number of the existing shareholders at Ibrox thought to be open to selling. 

Former chairmen Dave King and Douglas Park are the biggest shareholders at Rangers with 14 per cent and 12 per cent of the club respectively. 

Eight other groups hold stakes of less than 10 per cent, including fans’ group Club 1872, which owns 4.96 per cent.

South African businessman King is viewed as a willing seller having previously held talks about offloading his stake to Club 1872, while sources close to potential bidders claim that around 25 per cent of shares would be immediately available for the right price. 

A proposed majority takeover of Rangers from KRF Capital, owned by American businesswoman Kyle Fox, collapsed last year after her demands for two seats on the board at Ibrox were not met, with Park in particular implacably opposed to selling.

Fox, who had been seeking to buy 75 per cent of Rangers, has not returned to the negotiating table but other US investors are understood to be considering making bids for a minority stake. 

Rangers have been in Celtic’s shadow for over decade since being liquidated and reformed as a NewCo in 2012, and have won just one Scottish Premier League title in 13 years, but their powerful brand and large fan-base still makes them attractive to potential investors.