Arsene Wenger will be sacked as Arsenal manager should African richest man Aliko Dangote succeed in buying Arsenal Football Club. Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal’s first-team affairs since 1996, leading the Gunners to seven FA Cups, three Premier League titles, and a Champions League final.
Arsene Wenger gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London on May 27, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ian KINGTON /
Wenger signed a two-year contract extension at the club at the end of the 2016-17 season, despite finishing fifth in the Premier League table. Should Dangote take over, he will end Wenger’s reign at the club.
“The first thing I would change is the coach,” Dangote who has already outlined his early plans for Arsenal and its backroom structure, told Bloomberg.“He has done a good job, but someone else should also try his luck.”
Dangote is estimated to worth £8.6 billion and has long sought after ownership of the north London club. He insists he will be ready to table an official bid once the construction of an $11bn oil refinery in Lagos is completed.
Arsenal have been the focus of a number of takeover bids, with Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who already holds a 30 per cent stake in the club, attempting to buy out majority shareholder, Stan Kroenke. The American businessman owns around 67% of the Gunners and turned down a deal which valued the club at around £2bn.
Dangote believes that the Arsenal bigwigs could be convinced to walk away though, and has promised that he will one day be in charge at the Emirates.
“If they get the right offer, I’m sure they would walk away,”“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.”
SidomexEntertainment is your one-stop-shop for news, entertainment, fashion, music, sports and lifestyle. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry.
21 thoughts on “Dangote wants to buy Arsenal and sack Wenger”