There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the way Arsenal Football Club has been run under Arsene Wenger and more specifically, since the American billionaire Stan `silent Stan´ Kroenke kept increasing his take and became the major shareholder.
Arsene Wenger has been criticised for his transfer tactics but the Frenchman has also spoken about how the Gunners should be held up as a role model for football clubs as we operate in the black, as any other business must do. THe Financial Fair Play rules brought in by UEFA did seem to back Kroenke and Wenger but they have not been ideal and look set to be at least changed in the near future.
And with clubs like Chelsea, Man City and PSG being backed to the hilt by their owners, you can see how hard it has been for Wenger to compete. Until Arsenal win the Premier League again or even the Champions League, us fans will have our doubts about the policy at the club.
The argument will go on but maybe not for long, if the mega rich Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote gets his way. He has been linked with an Arsenal takeover bid before and as reported by The Mirror, sounds like he is planning to make a real push to buy the club soon, after building an oil refinery that will make him worth even more than the £11.5 bn he is said to be worth now.
Dangote said, “When we get this refinery on track, I will have enough time and enough resources to pay what they are asking for.
“There were a couple of us who were rushing to buy [in 2011], and we thought with the prices then, the people who were interested in selling were trying to go for a kill.
“We backtracked, because we were very busy doing other things, especially our industrialisation.
“They are doing well, but they need another strategic direction. They need more direction than the current situation, where they just develop players and sell them.”
It will be interesting to see, if Dangote does get control, whether that change of direction will involve a new manager or if Wenger will be just given a lot more financial backing. What do you think Gooners?