To be fair, whoever bought the club clearly hoped for a quick flip. Trouble is, that flip isn't lining up. Between purchase costs, debt cleared and share issues, the new owners are a long way in the red. Unless we start delivering real success on the pitch, selling for a profit looks a long shot.
The sums don't add up
If you take the rough numbers fans talk about — around £100m to buy, roughly £30m cleared in debt and a couple of share placings — you can see how someone might reckon they're over £150m down. That's a back-of-envelope view, but the point stands: ownership hasn't been cheap and footballing failure makes recouping that cash harder. You can't sell a club to the highest bidder if we're playing in Conference football and finishing third domestically. Interest will be muted.
Who would actually buy?
People mention Red Bull, and I get why — they've got a model that includes buying clubs and building them. But are they lining up for Rangers when we're a long way from the Champions League and in a tricky domestic position? Then there are the big English owners: Kroenke, Radcliffe, wealthy Middle East investors, the same crowd linked with Newcastle — you'd love one of them to fancy it. Realistically, most of those owners have priorities and portfolios already. Buying Rangers would need to make strategic sense for them, not just be sentimental.
A partnership might be the middle ground
This is where a smart partnership makes more sense than a full sale. Link-ups with elite clubs can net loan players, academy ties and scouting access without losing independence. We wouldn't be a feeder club if it's done properly — more of a two-way relationship where we get youngsters and fringe players they trust to develop. Fans would be wary, naturally. Nobody wants Rangers reduced or sidelined. But used right, partnerships can boost quality and give us access to talent we otherwise couldn't attract.
Truth is, the financial hole complicates everything. The owners will have to show progress on the pitch to make a future sale plausible, or else pursue genuine partnerships that strengthen the squad without selling our soul. Fans should be sceptical, but open to sensible ideas that rebuild our competitiveness.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
