Jump to content

Usmanov - " Take My Money "


Heero Yuy

Recommended Posts

lisher Usmanov, Arsenal's second-largest shareholder, has offered to pay off a significant chunk of the club's £318 million debt to create fresh transfer funds for Arsene Wenger. By Jeremy WilsonLast Updated: 8:43PM BST 12 May 2009Alisher Usmanov offers to pay off chunk of Arsenal's debtMajor player: Alisher Usmanov has offered to pay off a significant chunk of Arsenal's debt in order to free up transfer funds for manager Arsene Wenger Photo: REUTERSThe Uzbek billionaire has looked on with frustration at Arsenal's failure to win trophies over the past four years and believes that the need to service such significant levels of debt is a barrier to the club's ambitions.Last year, net interest costs accounted for £17 million of expenditure, while repaying both the interest and capital on the Emirates Stadium amounts to an annual cost of around £20 million. After their comprehensive Champions League defeat against Manchester United, Wenger even admitted that Sir Alex Ferguson's financial advantage would not change until the Emirates debt was repaid. "The key issue is to ensure that the club remain both self-financing and competitive at the very highest levels of European and world football," said a spokesman for Red and White Holdings, Usmanov's investment vehicle. "The debt at the club appears to be an impediment to that and we are ready to help address that if the board asks. Raising ticket prices is not the answer."Last year Arsenal increased season-ticket costs by 4.5 per cent but the club are committed to freezing prices next season.The Arsenal directors are likely to react cautiously to Red and White's offer in the suspicion that it is an attempt to bolster its standing among fans. although Usmanov has always stated that his involvement is motivated by a genuine support for the club and Wenger.Usmanov's proposed debt gesture would be unique among the billionaire investors at the 'Big Four' clubs. The American takeovers at Manchester United and Liverpool have placed added debt on the clubs, while Roman Abramovich's £709 million investment at Chelsea has been split between interest-free loans and equity.Usmanov and business partner Farhad Moshiri own 25 per cent of Arsenal but have not been offered a place on the board or involvement in key decisions. Their suggestion will inevitably place fresh pressure on directors and follows a flurry of transactions over recent months, have resulted in American businessman Stan Kroenke overtaking Red and White as the largest shareholder.There is, however, a charge on Kroenke's purchase of around £90 million worth of shares in deals involving fellow directors Danny Fiszman and Richard Carr which means they are not immediate cash transactions.The move to the Emirates has added around £50 million to Arsenal's annual turnover, meaning that the club have so far managed to service their debts comfortably. However, it would be possible to further maximise revenues from the new stadium and create a larger transfer budget if the debt could be paid off more quickly.According to last year's accounts, with £93.3 million cash in hand, the debt was split between the £250.2 million for the stadium that has been taken out on fixed rate bonds over up to 23 years, debenture loans of £26.1 million and £139.3 million in property financing for the Highbury Square development.Arsenal, though, are now in negotiations to extend the Highbury Square loan because of delays in selling the apartments amid the backdrop of a downturn in the housing market.Other uncertain financial issues are also looming. With a qualifying round still to negotiate, Arsenal's participation in the lucrative group stages of next season's Champions League is not guaranteed, while chief executive Ivan Gazidis has admitted that the recession is likely to impact on corporate hospitality box sales.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest the way the board treat him as a leper is more likely to make him either f*ck off or try to buy the club.Dunno why they are so hostile to him. He owns 25% of the club, which is way more than some, listen to what he has to say and see where he can help, if at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...
  • 4 years later...

What difference will Usmanov make?

 

Will he sack Wenger? Or now that this news has dropped do most of the Arsenal fans think Wenger is no longer the problem magically? 

 

I know TF has been going on about the board for ages with majority of man arguing about Wenger so really its other fans I wanna hear from tbh. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Haze-e said:

What difference will Usmanov make?

 

Will he sack Wenger? Or now that this news has dropped do most of the Arsenal fans think Wenger is no longer the problem magically? 

 

I know TF has been going on about the board for ages with majority of man arguing about Wenger so really its other fans I wanna hear from tbh. 

Usmanov is Deins boy for one. He's also actively disliked by most if not the entire board which speaks volumes. He's been speaking about the need to invest massively  in the squad for about 10 years. He seems to genuinely give a fuck about what happens on the field too. He supports wenger but has acknowledged the lack of support he gets from the board. He's openly tried to persuade the board to take his money for transfers before and they declined, this is a guy who owns 30% of the club ffs :/. Potentially Dein could come back under him too. Most people at Arsenal want to see some sort of change, because under the current structure is toxic. Maybe a new manager under the current board would reinvigorise things, or maybe Wenger under a new owner  that cares about winning titles will work too. The bid hasn't been formally rejected yet but I suspect it will. The first bid is undoubtedly trying to see what Stans apetite is to sell. Stan is ? in it for the money so I don't think for a second it's not possible. The massive factor is how tight is he with the board personally. Because they will be telling him to fuck Usmanov left right and centre. Even if he wanted to sell they would be pleading with him to sell it to somebody else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Heero Yuy said:

Stans apetite is to sell. Stan is ? in it for the money so I don't think for a second it's not possible. The massive factor is how tight is he with the board personally. Because they will be telling him to fuck Usmanov left right and centre. Even if he wanted to sell they would be pleading with him to sell it to somebody else.

Quote

Yet Kroenke, who owns 67%, after gradually building up his holding since 2007, is unwilling to contemplate the deal. He remains fully committed to the club and, even though Usmanov’s offer would net him a massive profit, he is not minded to sell. Kroenke has long maintained his investment is on behalf of his family for the long term and he sees it as being for generations.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...