Donald Trump seriously considered a Rangers takeover at the heights of the Scottish giants’ financial meltdown.
In 2012, the Ibrox club were desperate for a buyer amid off-the-pitch chaos which resulted in administration, liquidation and demotion to the fourth tier. Numerous prominent figures were linked with purchasing the crisis-torn club, including a certain Donald J Trump, who is vying to become US president for a second time as he stands as the Republican candidate in this week's US election.
Trump’s links to Scotland are well known through his Ross-shire-born mother Mary Anne MacLeod. Back in 2012, he was trying to establish his first Scottish golf course near Aberdeen.
Trump did have some experience with sports clubs after a very brief spell running American football franchise the New Jersey Generals, who played in the short-lived US Football League in the mid-1980s.
And he had a “serious” look at Rangers’ situation with a view to bailing out the club. Given his preference for attaching his name to his business interests, maybe Ibrox would have been renamed. Trump Ibrox, anyone? Maybe not!
However, despite his wealth and ties to the country, Rangers’ financial predicament was too much even for him. Speaking to the Press and Journal at the time, a Trump source said: "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."
In 2015, Trump, amid campaigning ahead of his first term as US president, was linked with buying Colombian giants Atletico Nacional, a club with a chequered history due to its links with infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. Again, the interest came to nothing as he pursued his divisive political career.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Trump have been a good fit for Rangers? Tell us in the comments section.
It’s safe to assume Trump isn’t paying attention to Rangers’ current problems, with the club operating without a permanent chairman, chief executive and director of football. Last week, it was announced the Gers made a net loss of £17.2million last season.
On the pitch, Rangers sit third in the SPFL, a huge nine points behind leaders Celtic and Aberdeen, with manager Philippe Clement under mounting pressure.
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