Former Glasgow Rangers chairman Dave King has confirmed that a takeover of the club is expected to be finalised in the middle of June, ahead of the summer transfer window.
The US health insurance tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises are poised to take control of the Light Blues in just over a month, which will mark the start of a new era at Ibrox.
Results on the pitch in recent seasons suggest that a new direction and new leadership have been a long time coming, as Celtic have won the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons.
The Light Blues, who held their rivals to a 1-1 draw last time out, are going to end the 2024/25 campaign without a single trophy to show for their efforts, and with Barry Ferguson in interim charge after Philippe Clement was dismissed earlier this year.
Rangers will be on the lookout for a new manager to lead the club into a new era under the 49ers, and there are already plenty of names being floated around.
One popular suggestion has already been ruled out as a contender, though, as it has been revealed that Steven Gerrard will not be the new Rangers manager.
Why Steven Gerrard will not be the next Rangers manager
The English head coach is currently a free agent, having left Al-Ettifaq earlier this year, and this means that the Gers would not have to pay any compensation to bring him back to Ibrox.
Despite being an attractive target, having also won a Premiership title for the Light Blues during his previous spell as the manager in Glasgow, the 49ers will not be pursuing a deal for the English boss.
TEAMtalk recently revealed that the new owners want to appoint a manager who does not have any links to the club, as they want a fresh face to build a new philosophy and way of playing to lead the team forward.
The report claimed that the 49ers are planning to build the club gradually, and their first move is going to be to appoint a manager who can lead a long-term project at Ibrox.
TEAMtalk’s article does not explain outright why they do not want anyone with prior experience at Ibrox, but it could be to avoid complacency and to avoid emotions dictating decisions.
It is the kind of ruthless decision that suggests that they could also be ruthless with underperforming players in the summer transfer window, particularly when it comes to the ones who are near the top of the wage bill.
The top ten earners at Rangers
Rangers have failed to win the league title in each of the last four seasons. This means that they have underperformed for several years, and suggests that the squad is not good enough.
James Tavernier, who has registered four goals and ten assists in the Premiership and the Europa League this season, is reportedly the top earner at Ibrox on a weekly wage of £30k.
As the captain and a regular starter who contributes with goals and assists on a regular basis, it is hard to argue that he does not provide value for money at this moment in time.
James Tavernier
£30k
Vaclav Cerny
£27k
Cyriel Dessers
£27k
Danilo
£26k
Jack Butland
£25k
Rabbi Matondo
£23k
Dujon Sterling
£22k
Tom Lawrence
£22k
Ianis Hagi
£21k
Nicolas Raskin
£19k
As you can see in the table above, though, there are some players who are not performing well enough this season to justify them being among the top earners at the club.
Chalkboard
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Jack Butland is one of those players who have not done enough on the pitch in the 2024/25 campaign to make his £25k-per-week wages worthwhile for the Light Blues.
The 49ers should, now, be ruthless in the summer transfer window by attempting to move on from the former England international, so that he is not part of the new era at Ibrox, as will be the case for Gerrard.
Why Jack Butland should not be a part of the 49ers era at Rangers
Rangers will need to make brutal decisions on players in order to improve the squad and to ensure that they can compete for major trophies next season, which means that they will have to make some bold calls on stars who have not hit the heights they once reached.
Butland enjoyed an excellent debut season with Rangers after his move from Crystal Palace on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, as he kept 25 clean sheets in 58 appearances in all competitions for the club.
The current campaign has not gone as smoothly for the experienced shot-stopper, though, as he is currently the second-choice behind Liam Kelly and has only kept 14 clean sheets in 42 appearances.
Unfortunately, errors, like the one in the clip above, have become too commonplace for Butland, who was once described as “error prone” by journalist Luke Hatfield.
The English goalkeeper conceded 1.32 more goals than expected, based on the xG of the shots against him, and kept two clean sheets in his ten outings in the Europa League this term.
Appearances
38
26
Save percentage
71%
67%
Clean sheets
18
10
Error led to shot
1
2
Error led to goal
0
2
Penalties committed
0
1
As you can see in the table above, Butland’s form in the Premiership has also declined after his impressive debut season in Scottish football between the sticks, as he has been an unreliable presence in goal for the Light Blues with his mistakes.
He has been far too ‘error prone’ in the top-flight, with five errors that have led to shots, goals, or penalties for the opposition, and has kept eight fewer clean sheets, which has led to him losing his place to Kelly.
Therefore, the club must be ruthless with Butland and attempt to move on from him in the summer transfer window because his performances suggest that he should not be a part of the new 49ers era at Ibrox, as his performances have not aligned with his place in the wage bill.
Rangers can forget Gerrard & Rose by appointing "world-class manager"
With Steven Gerrard and Marco Rose the current front-runners to be the new Rangers boss, should the 49ers appoint a “world-class manager” instead?
ByBen GrayMay 7, 2025
It is now down to the new owners, once they are in place next month, to make that call and to recruit an upgrade on him before the start of next season.