A future issue has been raised for Leeds United as the 49ers’ ownership of Rangers approaches.
In 2023, the enterprise arm of the San Francisco 49ers NFL organization assumed complete control of the Elland Road club.
Whites chairman Paraag Marathe is leading negotiations for the group to purchase a majority share in Rangers, and a new update suggests the transaction is getting closer.
49ers prepared for Rangers takeover
The 49ers have reached an agreement in principle to acquire the Scottish club, and due diligence will now begin.
However, Sky Sports writer Gordon Duncan has highlighted a difficulty that the Peacocks may face if the takeover is confirmed.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (3 March, 12:05 pm), he said: “Leeds and Rangers are both major teams with a proud history and eager fanbases, so it will be intriguing to see how that dynamic plays out.
“You could encounter one or two challenges. If Leeds return to the Premier League and then to European competition, the situation becomes more problematic for UEFA.
“But when you look at other examples, such as Manchester City and Girona, Manchester United and Nice, UEFA hasn’t completely given up, but there are a few workarounds.”
“It’s not impossible for both [Rangers and Leeds] to both play in Europe were that to happen.”
Leeds will be unaffected by the Rangers transaction.
There may be concerns that any prospective purchase will harm Leeds, but this should not be the case.
For starters, as Duncan points out, there are ways to negotiate around limits surrounding European contests, and the benefits of the takeover should outweigh the drawbacks for both teams.
Furthermore, they will exchange scouting networks, commercial connections, and data, which will only help to increase efficiency, and the relationship should allow both teams to thrive on and off the field.
The 49ers have massive finances at their disposal, therefore there is unlikely to be a disparity in the amount of support that each club receives in the transfer market from the group, despite concerns that the new club will be given higher priority.
Both teams have a lot of work to do in the summer transfer window: the Whites to stay in the Premier League if they get promoted as expected under Daniel Farke, and Rangers to close the gap on Celtic, who are 16 points behind them in the Scottish Premiership. There is also the issue of appointing a new manager.
The latter will not affect Leeds supporters. They will be focused on their own club and its goals, but they may need to pay close attention to happenings at Ibrox in the near future since they could have a direct impact on the Elland Road squad.
