Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has revealed he will attempt to buy Arsenal in the next two years. The Nigerian businessman, who is worth $13.8 billion (£10.4bn) according to Forbes, has been linked with purchasing a significant stake in Arsenal for several years.
Stan Kroenke is currently Arsenal’s majority owner with a 67.09% stake in the club, while Alisher Usmanov has a 30.4 per cent share but has no seat on the board and no say over the running of the club.
On Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that Usmanov is considering selling his stake after privately admitting that Kroenke is unwilling to hold talks over a potential takeover. And when asked about Usmanov’s potential intentions, Dangote insisted he still has a keen interest in buying Arsenal.
Dangote is worth £10.4 billion, according to Forbes.
‘We will go after Arsenal from 2020… even if somebody buys, we will still go after it,’ Dangote told Reuters. Speaking last August, Dangote was convinced that Kroenke would be prepared to sell his stake in Arsenal.
‘If they get the right offer, I’m sure they would walk away,’ he said.
Stan Kroenke is Arsenal’s majority owner with a 67.09% stake. (Getty Images) ‘Someone will give them an offer that will make them seriously consider walking away. ‘And when we finish the refinery, I think we will be in a position to do that.’
