As the 49ers’ global football interests continue to grow, with the American franchise already holding a stake in Leeds United, York emphasised that the process of acquiring the Scottish football powerhouse is still in the early stages, despite a deal being agreed in principle last month.
“We haven’t done anything there,” York said when asked about a potential deal to purchase Rangers and the knock on effect following the departure of 17 NFL stars from the 49ers.
“Leeds is obviously under the umbrella, but they are completely separate from the 49ers. Where we can tie brands together and sort of take our best practices of operating, we do, but in terms of financials, they don’t overlap at all.”
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Many have suggested that the 49ers could be tightening their purse strings in anticipation of splashing out to acquire control of Rangers this summer.
The timing of these talks is also raising eyebrows, especially as reports suggest that the 49ers are considering selling a 10 per cent minority stake in their NFL team to a private equity firm or other investors.
According to York, the decision is driven by internal family considerations rather than a need for additional capital.
“Probably on a weekly basis, we get approached by parties interested in buying a piece of the 97% of the team that my family controls,” York explained to ESPN.
“But it's just one of those things where if there's an opportunity that makes sense, we would always explore that, but I'm not sure what we’re going to end up doing.”