Usmanov Still Interested in Arsenal Takeover

Alisher Usmanov, the disliked Russian billionaire who has been linked with Arsenal takeover talks, has finally admitted that he is interested in taking over the club.

The Metalloinvest and Red and White owner had previously stated that he only wanted to raise his stake to 25% of the club (he currently owns 23%), but he has now admitted that he would jump at the chance to launch a takeover bid.

Any takeover would likely be hostile, seeing as how the clubs board of directors (who together own 45% of the club) has stated that they will not sell their shares for at least one year. However, Usmanov says that he would only buy at a reasonable price, and if Arsenal's top shareholders agree to sell.

Having already bought David Dein's shares at market price, and other shares at far over their value, it seems as though the Russian businessman may be planning a takeover quite soon.

He is unlikely to succeed though, as Arsenal are currently the second biggest earners in club football, thanks in large part to the new Emirates Stadium. Without a need for Dein's money, and with a frugal manager Arsenal don't seem to be in any danger of becoming the next Chelski.

Alisher Usmanov: Friend or Foe?

Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire who has been rumored to be milling over a possible Arsenal takeover bid, has already lost the affection of many Arsenal fans. Usmanov's lawyers have coerced web hosting companies to take down sites including titles he finds offensive.

Craig Murray, former ambassador to Uzbekistan, has had his site taken down, as has Tim Ireland, the owner of Bloggerheads.com.

The hard man of Russia was already not popular amongst Arsenal fans who see him as someone in the same vein as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Usmanov has been warned not to attempt a hostile takeover bid by the Arsenal board of directors, but as the second largest shareholder at Arsenal, it seems that he may try anyways.

Personally, I don't want Usmanov anywhere near my club. 21% is already far too much to be in the hands of such a heavy handed man, and Usmanov could easily destroy the image of Arsenal as a pure footballing club. It seems that Usmanov views Arsenal as an investment rather than a soccer team, and it is for this reason that he does not belong. Thank god the board is unwilling to sell.

Arsene Wenger is doing fine with the funds that he was given, and even with minimal investment we now find ourselves at the top of the Premiership table. We are the second richest club in the world now and we don't need Usmanov's money - and we certainly don't need his attitude.

Huge Arsenal Turnover Prompts Arsenal Takeover

Arsenal have overtaken both Chelsea and Manchester United to become the second richest football club in the world, behind only Real Madrid. The move to the Emirates stadium is said to be responsible for £190 million gunners turnover for the 2006/07 season.

With the most expensive tickets in the Premiership, it is not too startling that Arsenal earn a massive £3.5 million a match at the 60,432 seat Emirates.

In such a successful club, it is unsurprising to hear that investors are willing to buy more shares. It should come as no surprise then that nearly perfectly coinciding with the announcement of Arsenal's turnover, came talk of an Arsenal takeover.

Alisher Usmanov's investment company, Red and White Holdings, recently bought David Dein's 14.58% share of the club, already prompting takeover talks. Usmanov has since then been buying small quantities of Arsenal shares, snapping up 271 shares soon after buying David Dein's holdings. Now it seems that he has bought more than 3% more of Arsenal's shares, bringing his total ownership to more than 18%, making him the second largest stockholder behind only Danny Fiszman.

Fiszman has declared (along with the rest of the Arsenal board) that he will not sell his 24% stake in the club, and the total holdings of the board (44%) will make it difficult for a hostile takeover to come through. However, Fiszman is not averse to meeting with Kroenke or Usmanov.

However, American businessman Stan Kroenke who owns a 12% stake in Arsenal could join forces with Usmanov, bringing their total ownership to 40%, enough to be obliged to launch a formal takeover bid.

Personally, I think that we are a financially stable club, and with Arsene Wenger's frugal hand in the transfer market, I can't see how a takeover would benefit us. Let's hope these takeover talks don't come true - we don't want foreign ownership like Manchester United and Chelsea.

Arsenal Chairman to meet Russian billionaire

Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood has claimed that "the major shareholders have no intention of selling and wouldn't welcome an offer." However, he has publicly stated that he is going to meet Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has reportedly been contemplating an Arsenal takeover move.

Usmanov, who recently bought David Dein's 14.58% share in Arsenal, seems to be interested in taking over Arsenal, despite the fact that the club's Board of Directors (which controls 45% of the Arsenal's shares) has stated its unwillingness to sell.

Hill-Wood explained why he would be meeting with Usmanov saying, "We will have a dialogue with any principal or major shareholder. If they've got some sensible proposals we'll listen to them." Disregarding the possibility of a takeover, I'm not quite sure what type of proposals these would be.

However, I think that in the unlikely case of a foreign takeover of Arsenal, we would benefit greatly. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all benefited from overseas money, and I think that Arsenal could do the same. While we have a lot of promise this season, if we were to add a few experienced world-class players to our squad we could become the best team in the world.