As you will have already seen this morning, Stan Kroenke is set to become the outright owner of Arsenal after Alisher Usmanov accepted a bid for his shareholding in the club.
The Russian will receive something in the region of £550m for his 30.05% stake, and KSE have stated categorically that they will make a compulsory purchase of the rest of the shares as stock market rules allow them to.
They say:
- The successful implementation of the Offer will result in the opening of a new chapter in the history of the Club in bringing 100 per cent. private ownership by KSE.
- KSE believes moving to private ownership will bring the benefits of a single owner better able to move quickly in furtherance of the Club’s strategy and ambitions. KSE is a committed, long-term owner of the Club.
- Private ownership is the most common form of ownership amongst the clubs of The Premier League, with 18 of the existing 20 clubs privately owned.
- KSE believes moving to that model will bring the benefits of a single owner better able to move quickly in furtherance of the Club’s strategy and ambitions. KSE is a committed, long-term owner of the Club.
You can read the full statement to the London Stock Exchange here
In the statement, the American also outlines his ambitions for the club in the wake of taking full control. They say:
- KSE’s ambitions for the Club are to see it competing consistently to win The Premier League and The Champions League, as well as the major trophies in the women’s senior game and at youth level.
- Under KSE’s stewardship since 2011 the Club has invested in major transfers, player contracts, analytics, senior non-playing football management employees, building the Club’s global brand and fan-base, and the stadium, training facilities and Club offices.
- KSE expects the Club to build on those investments and to continue to invest in London Colney and Hale End to ensure the Club stays at the cutting edge of sporting high performance through player preparation, training, conditioning and youth development.
- KSE looks forward to an ambitious and successful 2018/19 season for the first team squad under the guidance of our new Head Coach Unai Emery and Academy Manager Per Mertesacker.
And on the deal to purchase Usmanov’s shares, they continue:
- The offer is not being funded by way of any debt finance (bank loans, payment in kind loans or other debt or quasi debt interest bearing obligations) for which the payment of interest on, repayment of, or security for any liability (contingent or otherwise) will depend on the business of Arsenal.
Words are all well and good, but those who have watched Kroenke since his arrival pay little more than lip-service to his investment in Arsenal shares, and basically refuse to engage in any meaningful way with supporters will be concerned about the fact he will, most likely, own 100% of the shares and thus become even less accountable than he is already.
At one end of the scale, he could invest heavily in the team to help realise the ambitions outlined in that statement, and at the other Arsenal could become just another one of his assets on which, or through which, he could leverage the value to our detriment.
It’s a worrying development.
Arsene knew best.
Not sure anyone involved in this farce ‘knew best’.
Remember when Arsene went straight to Stan Kroenke to get a contract extension instead of waiting for the Board to make a unanimous decision? We’re now in complete submission to that kind of poor judgement and bad decision-making.
Still does
Knew what?
He was sacked.
Live with it.
“KSE’s ambitions for the Club are to see it competing consistently to win The Premier League and The Champions League, as well as the major trophies in the women’s senior game and at youth level.”
[STAN chuckles as he dictates to already chuckling IVAN]
I think this is significant. i cannot recall having heard them say that they want to “consitingly” compete to win the PL and the CL. Father and son Kroenke are perfectly aware of what realizing such ambitions require. This might signal an upturn in spending.
The only problem with that is when you look at the portfolio of other KSE ‘franchises’. Either KSE has the most incompetent management staff in sporting history or its business model isn’t the least bit reliant on on-field success. There are only two things going for us … one is Josh Kroenke, who might just realise that winning trophies and market value are inextricably related in a way Stan can’t comprehend and the vague possibility that a vicious rivalry emerges between the Kroenkes and John Henry (Fenway Sports Group, Red Sox, Liverpool etc). FSG understands how to maximise financing and… Read more »
Uh the Rams are quite good
The Rams being good is a result of a VERY recent turnaround. Despite US leagues attempting to enforce parity, KSE teams aren’t bastions of competitiveness. His biggest success was buying into the last title of a championship hockey team–a team that’s been trash ever since.
Ypsi? Is that you Andre?
No, not Andre. Is there somebody named Andre from there that likes Arsenal?
Yes.
I wonder how much he will take out for advisory services now. Nobody can welcome this surely, just another means to achieving personal financial success for a disinterested piece of shit who does not give a fuck about the success on the field unless it fuels his bank balance!
He won’t need to recieve advisory payments now, profits will go directly to him
those who say gazidis is leaving for this reason, you do understand the fact that Milan is also owned privately !!!!
but not by Kroenke…
My hunch is that Josh will be the next chief exec
Then we’re going to need more advisory executive staff. Way more. With football brains.
Fuck.
Kroenke and ambition go together like Maureen and dignity or Sp*rs and not being shit. The guy gives zero fucks about the fans or the team. Thank fuck we have a decent stadium so we don’t have to worry about relocating to New York or LA.
I don’t even smile at the thought of Baron Greenback buying into Everton and hitting the sanctions list.
Don’t necessarily bank on us having a stadium forever. He’ll own 100% of Arsenal, including the stadium. Yes, it’s the most attractive part of the club’s assets and a cash cow, but he could theoretically sell it if he wanted to…
Him and his cunt son can fuck off!
Just when I thought we were entering a phase of rebuilding and high hope…
KSE state that ‘Under KSE’s stewardship since 2011 the Club has invested in major transfers, player contracts, analytics, senior non-playing football management employees, building the Club’s global brand and fan-base, and the stadium, training facilities and Club offices’. No they didn’t, any money used for the above was earned by TV rights, merchandise & player sales. KSE and Stan Kroenke havs not put one single penny into this club. We sold Van Persie and signed Giroud. We sold Chamberlain, Walcott, Sanchez etc. to finance other transfer deals. We made a profit on transfers last summer and come sixth. in the… Read more »
“If you want to feel angry at someone, feel angry at David Dein, Hill-Wood, Bracewell-Smith and the Carr’s, they sold us down the river to this shyster.”
Hear hear
This could be very bad indeed, but to be fair to them, they have made big signings and good appointments in recent years. I personally will wait and see how this pans out before becoming too pessimistic.
I know a lot of people are downbeat on Josh Kroenke as CEO, but personally I’m happy for an owner to be personally involved in the running of a club, I much prefer that to some management hack being appointed while the owners simply ignore what’s going on.
Apart from the fact that “Josh” is a name that’s very hard to take seriously.
Before we deem it good for an owner to be involved in the day-to-day running of the club.
Does Josh Kroenke know anything about football at all?
He doesn’t need to know anything about football, that’s what Sanhelli, Mislentat et al are there for. As for the business side of things, I agree I have little faith in him but equally I have little faith in some MBA graduate getting the best deal for Arsenal. At least the Kroenkes literally have a stake in the game when they are negotiating deals.
I’ve just thrown up in my mouth
“building the Club’s global brand and fan-base, and the stadium, training facilities and Club offices”
Yeah, we all know who did that.
I’m not worried about lack of investment from KSE. Now that Usmanov is gone they will invest in the club.
The real worry is whether Arsenal FC will continue to exist after 30 years in the current shape and form.
Not long ago we celebrated 125 years of Arsenal. That’s not a joke. People who have been at this club for 125 years must have done something right. We are moving away from those sound fundamentals.
People who have been at this club 125 must be pretty wrinkly by now
Get out of our club
Get out of our club
Fuck off Stan Kroenke
Get out of our club
12 years of austerity funding our stadium move, now another 20 years to fund our new owners purchase of the club.
A really sad day for this football club.
Kroenke had admitted he’s not in this to win trophies and would never get involved if that was his aim.
We need shot of this prick and quickly
Seems to me like Stan’s team are picking up on the highly negative vibes from the majority of arsenal fan base on social chatter, hence this PR attempt to ‘reassure’ of good intentions. My take on this remains the same regardless….Ffffack!
“KSE’s ambitions for the Club are to see it competing consistently to win The Premier League and The Champions League, as well as the major trophies in the women’s senior game and at youth level.”
This must entail mathing the player purchasing budgets of the other 4-5 top English clubs. Promising, indeed.
The Arsenal, fully owned by a Republican billionaire. How humiliating.
What’s wrong with being a Republican? The American economy is booming….
There is nothing wrong with being Republican but there is something wrong with being a cunt. And those often coincide.
It is certainly booming if you are a billionaire.
It’s certainly doing well if you’re black, Hispanic or a woman as well…. But I guess that doesn’t fit your agenda?….
Give me a cu*t who gets results, rather than a cu*t who says the right things but doesn’t get results everyday of the week.
You genuinely have no fucking idea of what you are talking about. Real wages in the United States are flat or declining slightly; workforce participation rates (the proportion of the adult population that is in work) is much lower than in most European countries that have a nominally higher unemployment rate. The benefits of the changes in the tax laws are flowing almost exclusively to the well-to-do, with most of it going to the rich, and an immense proportion to the very rich. If you are black or Hispanic and very rich (there are a few), this benefits you; if… Read more »
And the poor, the middle class, the workers whose living wages are going down, the yet to be educated schoolkids, and the environment are feeding that boom straight into the gullets of very few.
FUCK KROENKE
If this happens, I’m disappointed with Usmanov of well. He categorically stated that if he were to sell, it wouldn’t be to Kroenke. There are many people who want those shares, why sell to someone who he is well known to utterly dislike? We can get Kroenke out by empty stadiums every week
Why would anyone spend that much money to not even get the chance to sit on the board or influence decisions in the running of the club
If this happens, I’m disappointed with Usmanov of well. He categorically stated that if he were to sell, it wouldn’t be to Kroenke. There are many people who want those shares, why sell to someone who he is well known to utterly dislike? We can get Kroenke out by empty stadiums every week
Why would you ever trust the word of a Russian oligarch??
I. agree just boycott and let the stadium be empty, show them that we do not trust them. Usmanov did not need to sell he has more money than Konkey, never mind the Kroenke
tits up
Devastating news! I’m convinced this is the beginning of the end.
I’m afraid I’m entitled to agree, I fear relegation within five years and that is not me trolling or being OTT.
I genuinely think that could happen.
the Club has invested in major transfers – Yeah, the club with its own money. If your really going to try and compete for the PL & CL, you better start investing your own money too!
I don’t know how, by owning something 100%, I could become less accountable. By rights, the outcome and liabilities of that ownership must fall to me?
Well, being publicly traded allows somebody like say a Stan K to come in and buy the club. There’s that
I’m gutted, our problem is KSE history on investment in Arsenal is nonexistent (in fact they’d tried to take money out, also they have publicly state the will continue the self sustaining business model) or investing in any of there sports assets is poor (God I hate even speaking this americanised bollocks). The current investment in the Rams new stadium is purely to increase long term revenue for KSE not the RAMS. So given that, how else are we to view whats happening except with fear. If KSE had a history of investment in Arsenal then we may have been… Read more »
Fuck off Kroenke, everyone (literally everyone) hates you.