How Dangote missed out on buying Arsenal

A few weeks ago, six Premier League clubs and three Spanish teams and three Italian sides announced they are forming a breakaway league called “Super League.”

However, it was met with a worldwide condemnation from football fans, and just a few days later, all the Premier League clubs involved reneged their decision.

But despite the clubs’ decision to withdraw from the proposed Super League, fans of these six clubs expressed their grievances by protesting against the club owners.

Arsenal were one of the Premier Leagues clubs involved, and their fans gathered at the Emirates before their clash against Everton, calling for Stan Kroenke’s (the owner) removal.

The Gunners faithful had always wanted the American gone even before the club’s decision to join the ill-advised Super League.

Arsenal fans accused the club’s majority shareholder of not backing the team financially to compete with the best in the league and on the European stage.

The Super League proved to be the final straw, and after the protest, an Arsenal legend called on Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote to come and save the club.

However, it appears Dangote has missed his chance to buy the club, with Swede entrepreneur Daniel Ek now favourite to buy the club- although the Kroenke’s have stated they are not selling the club.

Dangote is an Arsenal fan and had always expressed his interest to buy the club.

In a 2016 interview per Daily Mirror, Dangote said: “It’s not about buying Arsenal and just continuing with business as usual. It’s about buying Arsenal and turning it around.

But since then, Africa’s richest man has failed to make a concrete offer to buy Kroenke’s shares. But the news of him buying the club became a yearly thing.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Dangote once again reiterated his desire to buy the club once he had finished building his refinery.

But after many years of statements and no action, the opportunity to become Arsenal owner appears to be over with Ek now in the picture.

The Swede is the CEO of music streaming platform Spotify and stated his intention to buy the club after the Super League drama.

Ek, like Dangote, is also an Arsenal fan, but he has backed up his words with action. The Swedish billionaire has already secured the funds and even went a step further by calling on the support of three former Arsenal players.

Kroenke is still unlikely to sell, but should he accept Ek’s offer, then it would only show why Dangote should’ve backed up his words with action,