Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote insists that soon
he will have ‘enough time and enough resources’ to
buy Arsenal football club, whatever the price.

Dangote, 58, is Africa’s richest man having
amassed a fortune in the region of $18.4 billion
(£12.2 billion). He is currently the 67th richest man
in the world.

He first spoke of his interest in purchasing the
Gunners last month when he admitted that ‘one
day’ he hoped to buy the club, adding that he
‘already knew’ his strategy to take them forward.

That day may arrive sooner than first expected,
with Dangote telling the BBC Tuesday that
completion of his proposed oil refinery in Nigeria
will provide the funds necessary to launch a
takeover of the club.

“When we get this refinery on track, I will have
enough time and enough resources to pay what
they are asking for,” he told BBC Hausa.

“There were a couple of us who were rushing to
buy, and we thought with the prices then, the
people who were interested in selling were trying
to go for a kill,” Dangote continued.

“We backtracked, because we were very busy doing
other things, especially our industrialisation.”

“They are doing well, but they need another
strategic direction,” he added. “They need more
direction than the current situation, where they
just develop players and sell them.”

Stan Kroenke is Arsenal’s majority shareholder,
with the American owning 66.64% of the club’s
parent company, Arsenal Holdings plc.