Stan Kroenke is believed to have made an offer to Alisher Usmanov for his 30% stake in Arsenal Football Club, and the reaction from fans has been to urge the Uzbekistan-born Russian to refuse to sell.
Controversially I believe this could actually bring a positive change, although the obvious doubts are of course warranted.
Yes we have seen our club fail to invest properly into our club in recent years when it comes to the transfer market, but maybe this move by Kroenke is all about timing.
Arsenal are set for an exciting and risky time, with Arsene Wenger nearing the end of his reign, and that change is going to be huge in which direction the club goes in.
Once Wenger leaves, the club will be forced to reanalyze their whole identity, and will ultimately have to decide whether they want to be viewed as a big club or not. Our club’s first target will be to hire the correct man to continue on from the Frenchman, but in the meantime the squad will have to be strong enough to be deserving of a place in the top four, and with the right man in charge, hopefully break our 13 year wait for a Premier League trophy.
Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are also forcing our club’s hand this year, and we nearly bit the bullet and sold on deadline day in the summer, only for our number one target to change his mind about joining.
Kroenke’s move to takeover the club amidst all this uncertainty may well be due to his intention to spend big in the coming years in the transfer market, in order to secure the future of the club, and to assure himself of all the rewards of such a splurge.
Usmanov hasn’t been allowed a place on the board and could well give up his shareholding stake, but with such a rivalry between the two, Silent Stan could well be willing to increase his spending once Alisher surrenders his ownership rights.
Is it possible to foresee a bigger investment from Stan if he owned the club outright? Could the Usmanov rivalry be holding our club back?
Pat J
Sorry mate!
I disagree with u.
Arsenal will be worst for it if he buys from Usmanov.
Ursmanov please don’t sell u ar our last hope.
Arsenal has slowly drifted into mediocrity since Stan came on board. If he gained Ursmanov’s shares, then Arsenal will never be anything but a team making up the numbers in the EPL.
I think Usmanov know better than to sell to that vampire Kronken… I won’t even sell weed to that American blood sucker… Let him leave arsenal already and concentrate on this wild life preying TV show
God bless Usmanov. God bless Arsenal FC
Please could someone explain to me why a man with 30% shareholding is not on Arsenal’s board, while others are. This isn’t normal. Is it?
Here’s the deal… Usmanov is an Arsenal fan, loves the club, has more money than Abramovich and is willing to invest it in the players we need to be successful. Successful meaning winning football titles, not just making a profit. Kroenke’s commitment and love for Arsenal is questionable. He isn’t a strong enough personality to speak for himself and hides behind the scapegoats he has appointed to communicate the club’s ambitions to the fans (aka giving the fans the run around). Why won’t they give Usmanov a seat on the board? How could he possible hurt Arsenal’s ambitions? What is more evil? Spending ridiculous amounts of money on players (who could win titles for the club and appease the fans), or shoving all that extra profit in the pockets of the few controlling members of the board? With transfer fees exponentially rising, we need that money and someone willing to spend it to invest in the future of this club. If I were in London, I would protest Kroenke.
Worst time to be arsenal fan… Have to do something before its too late
Stan “f**king” Kroenke!
Completely off topic sry abt that. But could you plz write an article about Rosický?
I will take Usmanov over your Stan.
He bought Arsenal not as a fan but as a business man (just my thinking).
But Usmanov is a fan like us.
Are you high? Seriously are you?
Maybe you haven’t researched Kronke’s other sports franchises to see how that has worked out. Maybe you think Arsenal is different, maybe this time he’ll do the right thing.
NOT
Based on his track record with other sports franchises this scenario is far more likely than yours.
1. Take club private run off all other shareholders.
2. Register club in USA in the state of Delaware
3. End the public discussions with various supporters groups and question and answer sessions.
4. Close financial books to everyone; only disclose when it suits him
5. Use as collateral to get loans to prop up other franchises or cover costs like Rams new stadium.
I’ve watched this Dou#$hbag run this game for years here in the states. As I’ve stated here before, the protests only made him more determined than ever not to be at the mercy of Arsenal fans.
Its personal to him now, he is a tyrant and behaves like one. Look no further than St Louis my friends.
Do your own research please and see for yourself.
He can’t just pick up and leave like he did with the rams and St Louis. BUT he can close the books, end the public meetings, take out as much in dividends as he likes and not report a thing.
Ask yourself, is my scenario more likely, or the optimistic Pat J. Not a slam on you Pat, i just know far better from experience. You will soon know for yourself, wait and see.
Wrighty’s comments best thing that can happen, period. I wish far more of our legendary titans of the pitch would do the same. If they kicked up a fuss, protested with the fans, (on social media alone their millions and millions of followers can bring change) not even all of King Stan’s money can compete with social media.
His Killing channel went tits up before it ever even got started. If we could apply same pressure to him it would work. Asymmetric resistance people, make it too expensive for him to stick around and either he can keep arsenal and lose millions and millions or take his billions and run.
Full ownership could mean a dictatorship.
May be Stan is just testing the waters.
Maybe he is looking for a way out.
Playing money games mind games.
It’s what power brokers do.
May be he really wants Usmanov to make an offer
or bring other players into the market.
Usmanov has said he won’t sell but would he sell at a higher price.
After all Usmanov is not a young, man has little input in the running of the club
and wants to be hands on at a football club where he can make his mark.
While the Billionaires swap notes the millionaire manager and his millionaire
players keep serving up turgid football in a soulless stadium
in front of passionless fans as the club drifts toward another failed title bid.
It seems fake take overs and fake transfer rumours
are the only thing we have to talk about at AFC.
Same old same old.
@Arsenal4life
I thought my post was bleak and depressing but yours supremely crushed mine. You are right about much of what you said. Players get paid millions, wenger gets paid millions, Kronke gets paid millions, fans pay them millions and get crap sandwich without the bread.
There is absolutely no way a full takeover by Kroenke would be good for the club, or the fans.
I really hope someday soon he can be persuaded to sell his shares to Usmanov then f*ck off and leave us alone.
So you show your true colours at last @patj, you are one of Kroenke’s goons and not a Gooner, you traitor. Your article is so preposterous , you actually expect us to believe it. he Gave Wenger another 2 years against the wishes of the board so why would he suddenly get rid of Wenger for someone else?
Maybe Dangote should come in now and save us from Stan
It’s a shocking article. How would anyone believe Kroenke would invest money for players? It just never happen. His track of ownership for clubs left fans with misery.
Damn you, Kroenke.
At last, Usmanov has the balls to resist you!
Why such an article?….Kroenke is not interested in making Arsenal a better team……..Arsenal has not won any major trophy except the FA cup………that’s not ambition…….Kroenke will run the team to a the ground………eventually we will become an average club…….why do you think Wenger has not retired?…..because he knows Kroenke will destroy the team if he left……with the exception of Arsenal, this man has turned every team he bought into an average team….