Rangers would not be Leeds United's feeder club if US takeover completed

The businessman leading the consortium in talks to invest in Rangers has said that he isn’t looking to build a multi-club group around Leeds United and would treat other clubs as “stand-alone.”

Paraag Marathe is chairman of Leeds United and president of 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the San Francisco NFL franchise. He and other investors are currently in talks to take on a significant Rangers shareholding that could lead to a potential takeover.

Marathe refused to speak specifically about his group’s likely investment in Rangers but confirmed that he was considering putting money into a club other than Leeds.

“I can’t comment on whatever rumours might be out there, but we are looking at other opportunities,” he said while speaking at the FT Business of Football summit. “We’re looking at clubs with the right bones, a history of success and potential for growth.”

However, the businessman did talk in more general terms about how he viewed any future acquisitions and how they would fit into a portfolio that includes the ambitious English Championship club. He stressed that a club would not be considered a ‘feeder’ whose main purpose was to help Leeds develop or produce players for the English game.

“Multi-club from the standpoint of a hierarchy – that’s not really how we’re looking at it,” Marathe said. “We’re looking at it as almost standalone.

“Leeds United stands alone and if we were to pursue another club, that club would stand alone.

“Are there benefits to having leadership and ownership of multiple clubs? Absolutely, with what you could share and do on the commercial side, even sometimes on the sporting side.

“But we don’t really look at it and we haven’t contemplated it as one club as a feeder club to another. Each club deserves all of our attention and effort.”