City trader Kieran Prior to buy stake in Rangers

Kieran Prior, boss of private equity firm Pri Arc, claims he is set to buy a stake in Rangers and could soon become the Ibrox club’s biggest single shareholder.

Former Goldman Sachs trader Kieran Prior is set to buy a stake in Rangers. Picture: Robert Perry

The Salford-born 34-year-old, now based in London, has cere­bral palsy and reportedly has an IQ level of 234, ranking him one of the most intelligent men in the world.

Prior is a Manchester United fan whose family originally hail from Galway but claims to have a soft spot for the Light Blues which is why he says he will purchase up to 1.4 per cent of Rangers within the next 48 hours in a deal worth around £600,000, with the prospect of increasing his stake.

He said: “My motivation is simple. I want to see a club with a great heritage and one I’ve supported from a distance since I was a child grow as an institution. I’m not a frontman for anyone else, 100 per cent guaranteed. This is my stake and mine alone.

“The transaction to buy between 1 and 1.4 per cent of Rangers I hope will be completed within 48 hours. I want to see what’s under the hood of Rangers and I have the financial wherewithal to continue to buy significant shares, perhaps growing it over the coming months to between 5 to 10 per cent.

“I have no links or associations with anyone at Rangers. I met Malcolm Murray [former chairman] a few years ago but that was in relation to asset ­management business. There is nothing venomous or tactical in my approach. Judge me on my actions, not perceptions.”

Meanwhile, Rangers will open new shops at Glasgow Airport on 26 June and in Belfast’s Ann Street on 19 June.