RANGERS were last night on the brink of finalising an agreement with JJB Sports to take control of merchandising back in-house, paving the way for a tie-up with Mike Ashley's Sports Direct.
Sources told The Herald last night that confirmation of a deal between Rangers and Mr Ashley, also ending JJB Sports' merchandising relationship with the club, was likely this weekend or early next week.
The Herald revealed earlier this month that billionaire Newcastle United owner Mr Ashley was in advanced talks with Rangers chief executive Charles Green about buying a stake of up to 10% in the club and forming a joint venture to sell its replica kit through his Sports Direct stores.
Mr Green, confirming the talks two days later, highlighted hopes of bringing £5-10 million a year into the club through a merchandising joint venture.
JJB's merchandising tie-up with Rangers began in 2006 under Sir David Murray's ownership, when a 10-year licence was granted to design, develop, source and retail all Rangers merchandise.
While JJB has continued to work with Rangers' new owners on merchandising, following the £5.5m purchase of the club's assets from liquidation in June by a consortium led by Mr Green, sources indicated their belief that the original deal would have lapsed with the liquidation.
JJB Sports, Sports Direct, and Rangers last night declined to comment.
Meanwhile, football chiefs have named the commission that will investigate whether the old Rangers company broke the rules by failing to properly declare payments to their players.
The investigation into the Ibrox club's use of employment benefit trusts will be chaired by Lockerbie appeal judge Lord Nimmo Smith, who will be joined by Charles Flint, QC, and Nicholas Stewart, QC.
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