Commence calling them Arsenalski
By: Bob | August 30th, 2007
You thought that Arsenal were done keeping up with the cool kids when they brought on an American investor earlier this year, but they’ll see your American investor and raise you a rich Russian. The club’s former chairman David Dein has sold his 15% of the club to a company headed by the Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov for a mere £75 million. You know, £75 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Back in my day you could buy an entire nation for that kind of money. Back in 1983, you could buy 15% of Arsenal for £300,000. That’s how much Dein paid for his shares.
In today’s age a Premier League club is evidently worth about as much as a country and despite proclamations that this isn’t the start of a takeover move at Arsenal it is more likely than not a takeover move at Arsenal is going to happen.
Usmanov is not as wealthy as his compatriot and now London rival Roman Abramovic, who is the 11th richest dude alive and kicking. The Uzbek-born Usamanov comes in at 278 on the Forbes list of 500 wealthiest people with a net worth somewhere between what is in my bank account and what is in Fort Knox.
If there was a list of wealthy people who look scary, however, he’d be closer to the top. One can only picture him going into the dressing room, putting his finger in Arsene Wenger’s chest and bringing the Arsenal boss to a quivering state by telling him who to play.
Whether or not this will actually happen remains to be seen. For now, Arsenal fans can at least take solace in knowing that Usmanov’s company is keeping Dein involved and that the man who has been involved with Arsenal since 1983 might be back in the thick of things in the coming months so even with an American and a Russian and who knows who else owning the club it might still be able to hold onto to its tradition.
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Comments
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Don’t know about that last part, Bob. Seems to me Dein’s willingness to get into bed with a rather unsavoury character suggests his number one priority is winning a power struggle with the Arsenal board rather than any great altruistic motive in support of the club.
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Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith (15.9% of shares) will keep the nouveau riche in line at the board meetings.
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Comrade, I believe Arsenalov is more appropriate.
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United States
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