Alisher Usmanov could be ready to help Arsenal pay off some of their debt in a bid to help them challenge for honours at home and in Europe.
Russia-based billionaire Usmanov, the Gunners' second-highest stakeholder with 25% of shares, last week called on the club to "step up" their transfer dealings this summer and it now seems he could be prepared to help them do so.
Debts associated to Arsenal's move from Highbury to the Emirates are understood to be a factor in the club's transfer budget and it is a factor Usmanov seems willing to help ease, if approached.
A spokesman for Usmanov's investment company, Red and White Holdings, told the Daily Telegraph: "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.
"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."
Prices were raised by 4.5% last year but the Gunners have already committed to a price-freeze for next term.
Comment 1 - 14 of 14
well i think it would be good to have usmanov injection of cash weather wenger would spend it wisely is another thing or will he just go and waste it on a couple of unknowns from africa thats take more then one season to develope in to the arsenal type
player . I also think a injection cash of will stop the core of owe talented youngsters shining in the first team if wenger was to sign three or four world class
players but that day is miles away
stuart
if they had help from usmanov to ease the debt of the stadium then wenger could buy a decent holding midfield player+ 2 centre backs and a striker as if adebayor is not comited to the arsenal cause he should be sold. as for all the calls to replace wenger perhaps they should have a go if they real think they could do better
wake up wanger!!!!!!! nothing can change the gunners if the quality of player is not good. the expirience player also needs in big squad.buy some player like torres,messi or ronaldinho..
All you Arsenal fans out there who knew the job more than wenger, deciding who should go and who should be bought. Submit your CV and take over from wenger. Arm chair critics.
post 4 you are so wrong that clown Adeybayour has 10 goals and is supposed to be our striker Bentdner has 9 and is a sub !!! Sell the sub what a joke man Get rid of that lazy lumux adeybayour he is only fit for the likes of grimsby town
IT IS GREAT TO READ SOME WELL THOUGHT OUT ARTICLES FOR A CHANGE. I HAVE BEEN A GOONER FOR 60 YEARS AND HAVE SEEN MOST THINGS. DOES ANYONE THINK THAT OUR MANAGER LIKES THE POSITION THAT WE ARE IN? OF COURSE HE DOES NOT. MON.WENGER DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO SPEND THAT THE BIG 3 HAVE. WE CANNOT COMPETE FINANCIALLY. AT THE SAME TIME HE CANNOT JUST RIP THE SQUAD TO PIECES. HOWEVER IF HE CAN OBTAIN MANY MILLIONS FOR ADE-SO-POOR AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHERS HE WILL BE ABLE TO BUY WHO HE WANTS. WE REALLY NEED A BIG CENTRE BACK AND AT LEAST ONE BIG MIDFIELDER AS WELL AS A TOP STRIKER. MOST IMPORTANTLY WE NEED A LEADER, A CAPTAIN WHO IS ARSENAL THROUGH AND THROUGH. THEN WE WILL SEE. I WILL BE THERE TO WATCH. OVER TO YOU MON.WENGER.
Arsen will be forced to do something the corporate boxes are not selling !!!! 4th place in the most competitive league in the word and 2 semi final losses are not good enough to sell the corporate boxes at the prices required.
I must also add that an Aston Villa season ticket just for league games is under £500 to include the cups you can pay a further £10 and then decide if you want to see the home cup games at a reasonable price not more than £35 a ticket (home games only) and that is the top price seat I know that an Arsenal season ticket I believe medium price is around the £1800 but does include the cups i am told
That is a very very wide gulf in price and due to our lack of success may make folk think long and hard before renewal at this time of financial tightness and I am not talking about the prawn sandwich brigade i am talking long term supporters I know myself I have not been able to afford a season ticket after my debenture ran out at highbury with all the associated travel costs
Fiscally Arsenal are run on a very sound basis. They are classified as amongst the top richest clubs in the world, but they are probably in isolation as the only club that is actually making any money! Add to that they are doing this whilst holding a large debt for the new Emirates Stadium. Highbury Square will soon be completed and sold, thus wiping away a large chunk of that debt. If Usmanov is prepared to help to ease the short term burden, then good for him. 4th place in the EPL, semis of the FA Cup and Champions League is not a disaster, yes it is not trophies, but have faith. Dynastys are built upon solid foundations and Arsenal have that, KEEP Wenger (there is no one better), add sensibly to what is a very good squad already and we will be collecting trophies for many years to come.
Toure used to be very very good player but for the last 2 season he was shaky making so many mistakes which cost us a lot of goals and also he admited that he's too scared to play stoke, hull and small clubs. how he can call himself a world class defender.
gallas he's a big baby with bad character.
adebayor thinks he's best striker in the world after he scored 30 goals thanks to the midfielders, he cant score, he cant win the ball in the air, he cant control the ball and he cant use his body strenght, i was laughing when i saw Raphael pushed him away to win the ball and he is twice smaller than him.
The problem with Arsenal and I blame Wenger for it, is that the strikers do not shoot from outside the box. Our players want to walk the ball into the net. In the Chelsea game, I don't remember a shot at goal that was not a cross ie Walcott's as an example. The question to Wenger is does he teach his strikers to shoot? The only person who attemps to shoot is Van Persie, but he normally does this in the second half when presumably he will be tired and wants to release the ball quickly. Review the Chelsea game and you will see what I mean.
shutup Zack! Fella!
Adebayor and Gallas should stay. Bendtner and Toure can go.
We need a top,top, playmaker someone who will put fabregas to shame. Also a Defensive midfielder.
I want: Michael Turner/ Brede Hangeland, Wesley Sneijder, Giovinco, Gourcuff
where is this fool Zak coming from.We can only buy if the player wants to come and the club want to sell.
Supporting the club through a difficult period is what TRUE supprters should be doing. I am as frustrated as anybody, but I trust Wenger i believe in his philosophy we will come good. And lets face it ,no trophies agreed,but we have only lost in the league to Chelsea in the top 4, two semi finals, clear 4th place in the toughest league in world football aint bad.
John W 1947
just sell the fans...
arsene wont spend even if you give him 100 million pound, we all know that arsenal need a good goal keeper, central half, defensif midfielder and world class striker.
just sell, adebayor, gallas, toure and bentner.
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