Aliko Dangote Plans To Buy Arsenal
Aliko Dangote has told Bloomberg he still plans to buy Arsenal for the “right price” in the future.
Dangote was linked with making an approach to buy a stake in Arsenal in 2010, before he said he decided against the investment.
This week, however, Dangote has been quoted as saying: “I still hope, one day at the right price, that I’ll buy the team.
“I might buy it, not at a ridiculous price but a price that the owners won’t want to resist. I know my strategy.”
Arsenal fan Dangote is Africa’s richest man, according to Forbes, and is worth $15.7 billion, reports the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
American businessman Stan Kroenke currently holds a 67 percent stake in Arsenal, reports Bloomberg, while Red and White Holdings, backed by Russian magnate Alisher Usmanov, has 30 percent.
Kroenke also owns the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and MLS’ Colorado Rapids.
Dangote said: “We have $16 billion-worth of investments in the next few years. Right now I want to take my own business to a certain level. Once I finish on that trajectory, then maybe” an offer will follow.
The Nigerian also added that Arsenal “need new direction” and manager Arsene Wenger “needs to change his style a bit.”
In this article
Related
Sport
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
2 Comments
Please make us proud, it is a good move. May God help you.
Aliko, needs to invest such amount in Nigeria despite other investments in Nigeria. In the current economic downturn, isn’t the time to prop up British economy while Nigeria’s suffers. After-all, Nigeria made him the money, and perhaps through monopoly and government patronage. If he ever buys the club, then FIRS of Nigeria better make sure they tax the profit of the company for that funds back to Nigeria, because that is what other advance countries do. He has to pay taxes on that investment gain.
We will review and take appropriate action.