I want to buy Arsenal - UsmanovUsmanov initially said he wanted to increase his stake to 25%Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has revealed for the first time that he has long-term ambitions to buy Arsenal.
Usmanov recently raised his stake in Arsenal to 23% but indicated that he had no plans for a takeover.
The 54-year-old has now changed his tune but added that nothing would happen in the immediate future.
"We don't have the capacity today, but this is business and life is changing," he said. "Something that you can't do today, maybe you can do tomorrow."
The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow said Usmanov had fallen in love with Arsenal when Arsene Wenger took over as manager in the mid-1990s.
Usmanov described his stake in the club as a "good portfolio investment", but said if other major shareholders agreed to sell out, he would buy their shares - but only if the price was right.
If a significant shareholder sells, the whole dynamic changes
Farhad Moshiri, Usmanov's business partner
Usmanov's stake, held in company Red and White Holdings Limited (RAWHL), makes him the club's second largest shareholder behind Danny Fiszman, who owns just over 24%.
However, Fiszman and fellow board members Peter Hill-Wood, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith and Richard Carr have a so-called "lockdown agreement" not to sell their shares until April 2008 at the earliest.
The quartet currently account for 45% of the club's shares, so their agreement is key to any takeover bid Usmanov might make.
Usmanov and business partner Farhad Moshiri are hopeful their stance will change at some point.
"If a significant shareholder sells, the whole dynamic changes," said Moshiri, who co-owns RAWHL with Usmanov.
"But it depends on the price. If the lock-down agreement is not renewed, then it is a new environment."
Usmanov's announcement comes a week after Arsenal published their annual financial results to 31 May 2007, which showed income had soared 46% to £200.8m, up from £137.2m a year before.
via bbc









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