Credit: Imago].

Zak Anderton

Fri 21 February 2025 7:15, UK

Eddie Gray has given his opinion on what the 49ers Enterprises’ goals could be for Leeds United after the recent Rangers takeover news that has emerged.

Paraag Marathe and co. could be looking at taking over the Ibrox outfit as they search for new investment with reports suggesting talks are at an advanced stage.

The 49ers have worked wonders since fully taking over Leeds back in the summer of 2023 with the potential of a multi-club model mooted ahead of their talks with Rangers.

Leeds legend Gray has weighed in on the topic and has outlined what he believes Marathe’s goals for the West Yorkshire outfit could end up looking like after the recent takeover bombshell.

Eddie Gray believes 49ers want to take Leeds United to the top

As mentioned, the 49ers have had a fairly impressive start to their ownership of the Whites.

While they may have narrowly missed out on promotion last season after getting beaten by Southampton in the playoff final, it still feels like plenty of progress has been made.

They currently sit on top of the Championship table and although they’ve been one of the most dominant teams in the second-tier this term, Gray doesn’t think they’re likely to stop there.

“I really like the way they’ve approached things down here. One of the biggest things is the publicity they’ve brought to Leeds,” he said to the Daily Record (21 February).

“The 49ers, being an NFL franchise, are a worldwide brand, everybody knows them. And the people who work for them are very keen, very keen on the football and very keen to get involved and understand what Leeds is about as a city and a club.

“I think the big attraction for them is the atmosphere at games. They can see the passion the fans have for the club.

“It’s different from the atmosphere you get in America and they can see the potential that gives you when you are investing a lot of money. If you go into a club like Rangers, they’ve got a great atmosphere there too so I’m sure that will be the attraction.

“It’s early days here at Leeds under their ownership, so we’re all just going to have to wait and see how it progresses. But I’ve got to say things are looking good at the present time

“I think their ambition for Leeds United is to take the team right back to the top if they can. It’s not easy. We all know that. There’s a lot of obstacles standing in the way of that objective.

“But they have set their sights high – and I think that’s what they will be doing with Rangers, looking to turn things around at Ibrox.”

Leeds United to be taken to new levels

While the Whites may have been a Premier League team just a couple of years ago, it still feels like they could be taken even higher.

When the West Yorkshire outfit first made their way back into the top flight under Marcelo Bielsa, their style of football was intriguing and helped deliver results the first time around.

However, the second season proved an altogether tougher ask which resulted in iconic figure Bielsa getting sacked before first Javi Gracia then Sam Allardyce failed to stave off the drop.

With the 49ers in charge, it feels like plenty more can be done in order to ensure Premier League consolidation.

They’re a multi-billion franchise and, if Leeds do end up getting promoted or even win the Championship title this term, it’s hard to see how or why they’d want to let that go without a solid fight.

Indeed, only time will tell what the future holds but on paper, the future looks bright for the Whites, especially if the 49ers do end up buying Rangers.