Donald Trump once eyed up a sensational takeover of Rangers during their financial crisis.
Back in 2012, the Ibrox club was on the brink, scrambling for a saviour amidst a catastrophic meltdown that saw them plunge into administration, face liquidation, and tumble down to the fourth tier of Scottish football.
Trump is set for another term as US President after scoring major victories in swings states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina on Wednesday. However, it’s now emerged Trump once tried to purchase Rangers.
The tycoon’s Scottish roots are no secret, thanks to his mum Mary Anne MacLeod hailing from Ross-shire. At the time, Trump was busy trying to tee off his first golf course project in Scotland near Aberdeen.
He wasn’t a stranger to sports ventures either, having dabbled with the New Jersey Generals in the now-defunct US Football League back in the ’80s. Trump took a “serious” peek at the dire straits Rangers found themselves in, contemplating whether to swoop in as their knight in shining armour.
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Imagine the scene: Ibrox Stadium rebranded as Trump Ibrox! But let’s not get carried away – despite his hefty wallet and Scottish connections, the club’s woes were a bridge too far even for him, reports the Mirror.
A source close to Trump told the Press and Journal at the time, “We looked seriously and walked away. It just did not make sense to us, although they are a great club. We hope someone steps in and builds the team again.”
Back in 2015, Trump, while on the campaign trail for his first term as US president, was rumoured to be interested in purchasing Colombian football giants Atletico Nacional. The club has a notorious history due to its connections with infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar.
However, this interest fizzled out as he focused on his political career.