Charles Green will push for his newco Rangers to play football at the highest level possible after his application for entry to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League was consigned to failure more than a week before a vote.
Inverness, Aberdeen and St Johnstone have joined Hearts, Dundee United and Hibernian in confirming their intention to reject Green's application to acquire Rangers' share in the competition next Wednesday.
Fans who have pledged money for community ownership schemes at Motherwell and St Mirren are almost certain to vote against a newco too in consultation exercises, leaving Green with no chance of securing the 8-4 majority needed and prompting him to seek talks with the Scottish Football League.
Discussions have been held at the top level over putting Rangers into the Irn-Bru First Division amid wider changes to the structure of the Scottish game but SFL clubs would have to approve such a measure and Falkirk have already objected.
Green told STV: "I always want to play at the highest level and that's why we made an application to join the SPL - and whether you're a player, whether you're a fan or whether you're a director of a football club, you always want to see your club playing at the highest level.
"But cream always floats to the top and this club will come back and it will come back at the top - make no mistake."
Some Rangers fans see starting at the bottom of the SFL as the right thing for the club but Green does not share their opinion.
"Well, of course, I accept that that's a view but what we also have to look at is Scottish football is driven by two factors: Rangers and Celtic," he said.
"And the income drivers, the generation, the media, the marketing is all about two clubs, and really I think what we have to do is start looking now at what's best for Scottish football and we all have to now unite behind the club and make sure that the decisions we take going forward achieve that result."
The issue is complicated by uncertainty over Scottish Football Association action, with an appeal hearing due against Rangers before Green bought the club's assets and business.
"There are sanctions that could withdraw the club's ability to play," Green said.
"Part of my job is to work through the issues and make sure we're playing football and we're playing football at Ibrox for many years to come."
Green also held talks with the players' union after Sone Aluko, Rhys McCabe, Steven Whittaker and Steven Naismith objected to the transfer of their contracts to his Sevco company.
Green has claimed players are not entitled to join other clubs but PFA Scotland disagree and the likelihood is that more players will walk away before pre-season training begins on Thursday.
PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart said: "PFA Scotland will meet with the players who agree to the transfer on their return to pre-season training as our role is to ensure that all their contractual obligations are transferred with them.
"We will also continue to advise any member who wishes to take up the option of objecting as to his rights under employment law, a position which we have made clear previously and has not changed."
Meanwhile, Strathclyde Police will start a criminal investigation into the final stages of the original club, which is soon to be liquidated, after studying documents relating to Craig Whyte's buyout of Sir David Murray in May last year.
A Crown Office statement read: "The Procurator Fiscal for the West of Scotland will now work with Strathclyde Police to fully investigate the acquisition and financial management of Rangers Football Club and any related reports of alleged criminality during that process."
