Aliko Dangote has revealed his plans to buy Arsenal in 2021. Being the reigning richest man in Africa, with the billionaire, Gunners fan have determined to oust absentee owner Stan Kroenke.
The Nigerian boasts a net worth of more than £8.5billion and made his fortune after founding Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement producer – with the 62-year-old also owning stakes in publicly-traded salt, sugar, and flour manufacturing companies.
Arsenal fans’ frustration with current owner Stan Kroenke has been bubbling for years, with the Denver Nuggets and LA Rams owner rarely showing his face at the Emirates, while Arsenal continues to look rudderless behind the scenes in their search for a route back to the top four.
“It is a team that I would like to buy someday, but what I keep saying is we have $20 billion worth of projects and that’s what I really want to concentrate on,” Dangote told the David Rubenstein Show.
READ ALSO: Dangote Maintains Position As Africa’s Richest Man With $4.3b In 2019
“I’m trying to finish building the company and then after we finish, maybe sometime in 2021 we can.
“I’m not buying Arsenal right now, I’m buying Arsenal when I finish all these projects because I’m trying to take the company to the next level.”
Arsenal has been left languishing in 10th place in the Premier League after a torrid end to Unai Emery’s reign, but have shown signs of life after the appointment of Mikel Arteta.
Scrutiny on the Arsenal owners and board was ratcheted up during the miserable winless run that eventually saw Emery sacked.
Stan Kroenke’s son, Josh, is a director on the Arsenal board, and told fans to ‘be excited’ in the summer – after the Gunners signed Nicholas Pepe for a club-record fee, as well as Kieran Tierney and David Luiz.
There wasn’t much excitement about by December though, and banners calling for the Kroenke’s to leave were on show once again.
READ ALSO: Apapa/Oshodi Road Will Be Completed Before December 2020 – Dangote
The pressure will be somewhat relieved if Arteta delivers on the early positives showed in the 2-0 win over Manchester United, but Arsenal fans will still be hoping Dangote follows through on the promise he made in 2018 that: “Even if somebody buys, we will still go after it.”
