The Nigerian businessman, Aliko Dangote is an Arsenal fan who has made no secret of his desire to take over the north London club in the past. He has made several statements about launching a future takeover, fans are now calling on the billionaire and Africa’s richest person; saying this is the best time to takeover the club.
Numerous fans were shocked by the club’s decision to join the European Super League (ESL) alongside five other Premier League clubs, three Italian and three Spanish clubs.
Arsenal, as well as Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, however, confirmed their exit from the competition on Tuesday. Arsenal described its earlier endorsement of the league as a “mistake” and apologised in a statement published on its website.
“As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League,” the club said late on Tuesday. “We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.”
However many Arsenal fans are unmoved by the club’s about-face. They believed the club’s major shareholder Stan Kroenke was motivated to join ESL by money and not the love for the game.
Already, fans have scheduled a protest outside the Emirate Stadium in north London. That protest will still hold on Friday despite the apology. It will, however, focus on forcing Kroenke to leave the club.
“If Arsenal hoped this announcement could bring a bit of calm to the fanbase, they were wrong,” Charles Watts, Arsenal correspondent at Goal said on Twitter. ” It feels like things are only just getting started.”
Club legend Ian Wright also joined the call for Kroenke to leave the club, tweeting #KroenkaOut on Tuesday night.
Many fans of the north London club think Dangote can do a better job of moving the club forward.
He said in 2018 that he would likely bid to buy the London club in 2020. However, he is currently working towards the completion of his refinery in Lagos. In January 2020, he said he may buy the club in 2021 after he must have completed his refinery being built in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
Fans of Arsenal are now calling for him to take over the club this summer after the European Super League misadventure.
