Celtic icon Peter Grant believes Rangers’ urgency to finalise a proposed takeover by the San Francisco 49ers has less to do with football strategy and more to do with petty rivalry—specifically, a desire to avoid watching Celtic dominate the spotlight yet again.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, Grant—never one to hide his green-tinted allegiances—suggested that Rangers, who are on course to end the season trophyless, will be desperate to create some noise off the pitch as their rivals steam toward another historic treble.
“I think it’s certain to happen,” Grant said of the 49ers’ investment deal. “It’s just the timing of it, but I think they’re making sure—of course, Rangers have nothing to play for now—they can’t have Celtic having all the headlines, so they’ll definitely be trying to make something happen.”
The proposed investment from 49ers Enterprises, which would mirror their approach at Leeds United, has been moving at a measured pace. But with Celtic aiming to seal their fourth consecutive title, a potential ninth domestic treble, and extending a period of relentless success, Grant believes the pressure is mounting at Ibrox—not just on the pitch but behind the scenes as well.
While Celtic fans have taken a relatively relaxed stance on the 49ers’ interest, Grant suggests there’s a deeper motive at work: Rangers can’t stand being second in every conversation. And right now, Celtic’s dominance isn’t just sporting—it’s narrative.
With 13 titles in the last 14 seasons, six trebles in nine years, and now officially crowned as Scotland’s most successful club, the Parkhead juggernaut continues to set the standard.
For Grant, that’s exactly why Rangers will want to speed up the 49ers deal—not just for their future, but for the optics. “They’ll definitely be trying to make something happen,” he repeated. Anything, it seems, to stop the green-and-white headlines from writing themselves.
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