Will we see an Arsenal takeover bid?

Rumour was out this weekend that a takeover bid is in the making at Arsenal Football Club. 

An investment company from the Middle East were supposedly four months into the making of a £1.5 Billion bid, to buy out the shares of other investors at Arsenal. American businessman, Stan Kroenke, has a majority 66.64 per cent share in the club.  The Arab Consortium had hoped that the American would lick his lips at the prospect of netting a profit of £350m and walk away quietly into the midst.

These rumours have been quickly squashed by Arsenal in a statement today, saying that Stan Kroenke, including Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov (who has a 12 per cent stake) are not interested in a takeover bid and are investing in the long term future of Arsenal Football club.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain have all had ludicrous financial backing from Middle Eastern Sheiks or Russian oligarchs, luring the world’s best players, which have and will ultimately bring those clubs success.

Arsenal are on very uneasy ground right now with elimination from all four competitions this season, and fans demanding change around The Emirates.  Was this press release by Arsenal Football Club a camouflage act to hide what is really happening behind closed doors right now?

Will Stan Kroenke really want to be hanging around come the end of the season, when the demands from Arsenal fans become more aggressive? 

Many arsenal fans would oppose such a move, for the simple fact that the foreign influence seen at other clubs has changed its heritage and tradition. In reality, everything in life evolves, and Arsenal has to evolve to compete with the best on the planet.  Pure and simple.

But in football, anything can happen.

Mike Anscombe