Whyte urged to outline his plans

02 April 2011 10:00

Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston has urged prospective new owner Craig Whyte to outline his plans for the club to the supporters as the Scottish tycoon edges closer to a takeover.

A resolution to the buy-out bid is expected within the next 48 hours, after Whyte first announced in November that he was in discussions with majority shareholder Murray International Holdings. Whyte met members of the Rangers board on Thursday night, which does not include Sir David Murray, who he now has to conclude a final agreement with.

"I asked him (Whyte) to come out sooner or later to tell the supporters the way it is," said Johnston at a media briefing at Ibrox. "Generally, I've encouraged him to talk more specifically about what he would do so the fans can be supportive."

Whyte is understood to have pledged a £25million investment in player recruitment over five years and Johnston was keen to ensure there was some mechanism in the deal to uphold such a vow despite Whyte being under no obligation to meet the board members.

He said: "What I've been trying to get done over the last few weeks is to ensure that his eyes are wide open and that he understands the expectations of the fans.

"Those expectations increase when a new owner comes in and he is aware of that.

"What we are trying to do is get those terms into the purchase sale agreement, albeit this is a very unusual step.

"I want to get Rangers back to controlling its own destiny."

Whyte's bid took a major step forward this week when Rangers' main creditors, Lloyds Banking Group, claimed they had reached agreement with him over the club's debt, which now stands somewhere between £20million and £22million.

Source: PA