Arsenal will attack the elite with millions

Owner Stanley Kroenke has allocated 70 million euros for reinforcements. The London club should once again start winning trophies.

Eight years ago, they were fighting for the title in the world’s most prestigious football competition, the Premier League, and won the FA Cup. But that was Arsenal’s last trophy. Since then, a dark period has come to the club – elite players left, no new stars arrived, and the London team began to decline. Not even the entry of the richest man in sport, Stanley Kroenke (whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at five billion dollars), helped. In 2007 he bought a ten percent share in Arsenal. Gradually he became the majority owner, and now he is preparing to bring his team back among the elite. He has set aside more than 70 million euros for new player transfers. “Shareholders wanted to make money and they succeeded. But sporting success was nowhere in sight. Now, under pressure from fans, they have to spend money on reinforcements,” leading football agent Ondrej Chovanec told the Economic Daily.

Change. A transfer record in preparation
The London giant under coach Arsene Wenger is known for its saving policy. The French coach develops new stars, then sells them to top clubs. Under Kroenke’s era, Arsenal has earned 52 million euros this way. “Arsenal is an example of a financially healthy path in football. They buy cheap players and sell them on for big sums. But now they are realizing that without significant reinforcements, trophies will not come,” said football agent Jozef Tokos for the Economic Daily. The American businessman now wants to spend money on reinforcements. And right away he is preparing a transfer record. Until now, Arsenal’s most expensive purchase was Spaniard Santi Cazorla for almost 20 million euros. Kroenke wants to bring in Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic for 23 million euros.

Van Persie started it off
Kroenke and company were spurred into buying major reinforcements by the summer transfer of the club’s star Robin Van Persie to Manchester United. The Dutch striker made it clear that he wanted to play for a club capable of winning the Premier League title or the Champions League. Arsenal collected around 40 million euros for him. “There were more such players, but Van Persie was the last one to leave. And now they can spend that money on new signings,” said Tokos.