The Rangers irony hiding in takeover bid timing as Philippe Clement sees fan focus take seismic shift

Philippe Clement insists he’s not thinking about how an American takeover may impact his position.

There isn’t a Rangers fan on the planet who hasn’t spent recent days seriously considering the implications of a major investment from San Francisco and how it could impact their club. In terms of the manager, though, a different outlook.

Understandably, the Ibrox boss had little to say about the 49ers Enterprises. In his mind, these are 'business questions.' The ones he’s delighted to now place at the door of CEO Patrick Stewart. Clement said: “I think the club addressed things the last couple of days, Patrick did. So I’m here for the sportive side and I will see in whatever moment in time, if things change in the club.

“But I’m just purely focused on the team and the performances there. That’s my job too. There’s never a club where the manager is involved in these kind of things.

“If things change and there are different budgets, of course you’re involved and it can help you. But that’s the only thing. So that’s business.”

However, when pressed on whether he had considered what a change of ownership might mean for his own future, Clement was precise enough with a decisive: “No, no. I’m busy now with the group, with the players, the next game, all of that.

“Those are the things I have in control, in a part, because you don’t have everything under control. No, it’s about the job of every day, going full for that and getting the best out of the players.

“There’s nothing to talk about until something happens. It’s the same as with transfers. In a transfer window, if there’s nothing concrete to say, we can go into those things if it ever happens in time.”

In fairness, the US investment chat has perhaps had a related effect on