Rangers fans are counting down the minutes until the 49ers Enterprises takeover of the club is completed and this drastic season finally comes to an end.
US billions look set to flow into Rangers as a consortium led by 49ers chief Paraag Marathe and US healthcare mogul Andrew Cavanagh close in on the Ibrox boardroom.
The latest suggests that Rangers and the US consortium have agreed the takeover with a period of due diligence now being undertaken.
It’s previously been suggested that the US takeover at Rangers could be completed by June.
Rangers need all the help they can get on and off the park with the sale to the Americans set to open up a world of international sporting contacts and possibilities.
Amongst those could be links to the US itself with the MLS an emerging market of top talents Rangers could hope to exploit.
With the spirit of the USA set to arrive on these shores any moment, here are three potential options from the MLS who could soon follow suit.
Jack McGlynn
Jack McGlynn is one of the USA’s brightest young prospects with the 21-year-old international midfielder only just completing a history making $2.1m (£1.6m) move to Houston Dynamo.
As detailed by the Guardian, US international McGlynn became the first homegrown player to be involved in a cash-for-transfer deal in MLS history.
Having come through at Philadelphia Union, McGlynn was ranked third in Body Armour’s list of the top 22 young MLS players and it considered one of the division’s top talents.
A midfield playmaker who likes to control the tempo of matches, McGlynn plays with a maturity above his years and it’s why Houston have just pounced.
According to MLS Multiplex, there is substantial interest in Europe with the likes of Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and Real Sociedad tailing the midfielder.
Those technical qualities make McGlynn a stand-out option for a possession dominant European team and Rangers might have one eye on the kid’s progress.
There is a catch; McGlynn’s Irish descent already has the Republic of Ireland sniffing around and perhaps the Green side of Glasgow might be too.
Rangers would also need to cough up for Jack McGlynn’s services, with $1.3m (£1m) worth of add-ons woven into the deal and Philadelphia boasting a sell-on fee percentage.
| Jack McGlynn 2024 MLS stats | |
| Appearances (Starts) | 30 (25) |
| Goals (xG) | 4 (2.24) |
| Assists | 7 |
| Pass accuracy | 86.7% |
| Fouls (fouls suffered) | 9 (21) |
| Shots on target | 20 |
| Key passes | 55 |
| Yellow cards (red cards) | 3 (0) |
Diego Luna
Diego Luna is a name that the San Francisco 49ers are well aware of given the attacker’s links to Leeds United.
The NFL giants have a controlling stake in the Premier League hopefuls with Leeds United linked with a move for Luna by the Mirror ahead of the January transfer window.
Back then, Voetbal Nieuws had the 21-year-old valued at around £6.6m but for whatever reason the Elland Road club opted against completing a swoop.
Crowned the MLS’ Young Player of the Year in 2024, Diego Luna is an old-school winger who gets at defenders and makes an impact in the final third.
With murmurs of interest from Italy and even France, Rangers would face competition but Diego Luna is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in US football.
But it’s not just his technical skills which has been catching the eye stateside.
The USA’s Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed Luna for his ‘big balls’ when the young attacker played on with a broken nose in a friendly win over Costa Rica (Daily Mail).
With plenty of questions about the gutsiness of the Rangers first-team squad, Luna appears to tick a lot of boxes.
| Diego Luna 2024 MLS stats | |
| Appearances (Starts) | 31 (26) |
| Goals (xG) | 8 (5.45) |
| Assists | 12 |
| Pass accuracy | 85.7% |
| Fouls (fouls suffered) | 33 (32) |
| Shots on target | 23 |
| Key passes | 52 |
| Yellow cards (red cards) | 6 (0) |
Denis Bouanga
Rangers fans might remember links to Saint Etienne forward Denis Bouanga back in the summer of 2022.
With the Ibrox side licking their wounds after Europa League Final defeat, Giovanni van Bronckhorst reportedly eyed Bouanga for an assault on the Champions League.
But the Gabonese forward would wind up moving to LAFC instead where the striker has been nothing short of a revelation.
Rangers might regret not forking out the $5m (£4.1m) the Athletic claim the Americans did to bring Bouanga to California, with the prolific striker a key fixture in the LAFC team.
One of the MLS’s most prolific marksmen, Denis Bouanga is now entering his third season in the US and finished last season on an impressive 20 goals.
Bounaga is now 30-years-old and might be someone who smacks in the face of Rangers’ albeit inconsistent approach to player trading.
But the talented attacker is a pacey forward and a match-winner who takes on the responsibility to change games.
Rangers are in desperately short supply of pace, power and consistency in the final third but might have to cough up for one of the MLS’ most valuable players.
The hitman is fresh off the back of scoring an impressive double in the 3-0 CONCACAF World Cup win over Columbus and is contracted to LAFC until 2028.
| Denis Bouanga 2024 MLS stats | |
| Appearances (Starts) | 32 (30) |
| Goals (xG) | 20 (21.28) |
| Assists | 11 |
| Pass accuracy | 76.3% |
| Fouls (fouls suffered) | 47 (24) |
| Shots on target | 64 |
| Key passes | 60 |
| Yellow cards (red cards) | 3 (0) |
