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Usmanov On the Move

By jtom on 21 June 2011 @ 7:17

Tuesday Morning: Alisher Usmanov has increased his stock in Arsenal Football Club. Barcelona have set a limit on how much they are willing to spend on Cesc Fabregas. Adel Taraabt and Joey Barton are both reportedly on Arsene’s radar.

Usmanov is not ready to concede to Stan Kroenke. News broke yesterday that Usmanov has increased his stake in Arsenal from 27% to 29%. This means that it is very unlikely that Stan Kroenke will be able to complete the full takeover. Seems like Usmanov is holding out hope on someday running Arsenal.

If Usmanov is anything, he is determined. Determined to beat Kroenke and show that money gets what money wants. Other shareholders decided to sell their shares to Kroenke instead of Usmanov even though Usmanov offered more cash than the American.

That should tell you all you need to know about Usmanov. No one really wanted to leave the club in his hands. Now maybe it was just the lesser of two evils. Kroenke is involved in a ton of other ventures so how much time and cash is he willing to spend with Arsenal.

According to Goal.com, Barcelona will not increase their previous offers for Cesc Fabregas. Here is what Barcelona president Sandro Rosell had to say: “I do not know if we will sign Cesc or not. I have no doubt he is keen to come to Barca. We have offered less than €40 million [£35m] and if Arsenal do not yield, well then Cesc will not [...]

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21 June 2011 @ 7:17 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Uncategorized | 2 comments

Wenger and Gazidis

By jtom on 14 June 2011 @ 6:56
wengergazisidis

Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis both have spoken about our club’s upcoming summer plans in recent days. Wenger predicts that both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas will stay with Arsenal for quite some time. Gazidis expects Wenger to be very busy once the transfer window opens.

Here is what Wenger told the Sun: “We will do everything to keep Nasri at the club. My wish is that he stays here. If he looks back he can see that he’s come quite a long way with us, and I think there is still a bit to do. It’s the club that makes the player’s career.

“I will be pretty clear about this. For me, Fabregas is with Arsenal for a long time and he will stay with Arsenal. It sometimes happens that the rumour can make the transfer.

“Next year will see the introduction of the financial fair play system, which will limit the big transfers. I think this is the last year that the summer will be hot – very hot.”

Very interesting from Wenger, but a bit naive. I believe that Nasri is pulling off a negotiation stunt that we have seen other players try recently. Ultimately, he will be an Arsenal player next season. Cesc is a completely different story. He has made it clear that he wants to play for Barcelona, and I do not think trophies will change that.

This summer will be very hot, Arsene. If you look at Wenger’s recent transfer record, you would think that these [...]

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14 June 2011 @ 6:56 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Usmanov Blames Board

By jtom on 13 June 2011 @ 7:00
usmanov

Alisher Usmanov, a minority (30%) owner of Arsenal, believes that the board is to blame for the trophy drought (told to News of the World): “If the role of a board member is to oversee a trophy-less period, while making significant personal profits and asking fans to pay inflation-busting ticket price increases then, no, I would not want to be on the board.

“If instead it is to try to deliver sustained success, to increase your personal investment in the club, to help develop the commercial position and to ensure the fans have a say in the running of the club then, yes, I think I certainly have something to contribute.

In other news, remember when I posted the comments from RVP yesterday regarding English players partying too much. Yes, well, as I predicted, the Dutchman has denied those comments on Twitter. Does the media have a grudge on van Persie or does van Persie frequently say things he regrets?

“In terms of doing things differently, let me give you a very clear example. Arsenal has all of its major commercial contracts coming up for renewal in the next couple of years.”

Certainly some very strong words from the Russian billionaire. Maybe he is just bitter of his failed takeover. Or maybe, because he is on the inside, he knows something we do not. The board may be in it for profit and profit only. Usmanov did not stop there though: 

 ”It’s no secret that to maximise the value of [...]

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13 June 2011 @ 7:00 | Tags: , , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thomas Vermaelen, Kroenke, and More!

By jtom on 06 May 2011 @ 20:30
vermaelenfinally

Many Gunner stories to get to today so let us not delay. First off, Thomas Vermaelen will be available for the game against Stoke at the weekend. Also, Stan Kroenke stands by his guns as he vows not to do it the Glazer way. Arsene Wenger continues to warn both the FA and Jack Wilshere over the harms of overworking a young player. All of these stories will be covered.

The Verminator is back. First we learned this from Wenger: “Thomas Vermaelen is available and could be in the squad.” When the official squad was announced, the Belgian centre half was included. There was no indications from Arsene on whether Vermaelen will start. Johan Djourou was fit enough to be in the squad after injury concerns cause him to be removed from the match against United.

There were a few notable exceptions from Wenger’s 25-man squad. Cesc Fabregas was will not able to contribute due to a thigh injury. This is the same injury that kept El Capitan from playing against the Red Devils. You have to wonder if his next game he plays for Arsenal will be one of his last. Two Frenchmen will also miss the Stoke game due to injuries. Samir Nasri is suffering from a hamstring issue while Abou Diaby is battling a calf problem.

Aaron Ramsey will likely earn a second straight start because of the absence of Cesc. The Welshman scored the winner in one of the more memorable matches this season. Look for [...]

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06 May 2011 @ 20:30 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Kroenke Takeover

By jtom on 11 April 2011 @ 20:42
takeover

The big Arsenal story is the possible takeover of the club by American Stan Kroenke. The story broke after the match yesterday. Kroenke has acquired over 62% of the shares in Arsenal and that means that he must make a bid on the remaining shares. If (maybe a big if) the other shareholders agree to sell the remaining shares to Kroenke, then the American would own the entire club. Much has been made of this move but I do not think anything will drastically change at our beloved club.

Kroenke is no Abramovich (pictured here)

So who is Kroenke? Well, he has been involved in Arsenal since 2007 and owned more shares than anyone else before this move. He and Alisher Usminov were competing to takeover Arsenal and Kroenke has won that battle. Kroenke owns many other teams in America, including theNFL’s St. Louis Rams, NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and MLS’s Colorada Rapids among others.

Here are some things Kroenke released in his statement: “We are excited about the opportunity to increase our involvement with and commitment to Arsenal.

“Arsenal is a fantastic club with a special history and tradition and a wonderful manager in Arsene Wenger.

“We intend to build on this rich heritage and take the club to new success. I am delighted that Peter Hill-Wood has agreed to support us by continuing as chairman.”

I am not glad to here that. I am not too fond of Peter Hill-Wood and his insulting of the fan base. The man doesn’t understand [...]

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11 April 2011 @ 20:42 | Tags: , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment