So Stan Kroenke has bought 5000 Arsenal shares from Danny Fiszman. What comes next ?

Here’s my guess. Kroenke will buy 5600 (9%) of Arsenal’s shares from ex-Director Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith.

That will give him about 29.43% – still under the 30% level at which UK rules would require him to make a takeover bid, but above the 25% level which permits a veto of any significant changes in Board rules. It would also give the Directors as a group 51% total, so that Alisher Usmanov could be shut out (the 15% owned or controlled by Arsenal Supporters Trust would undoubtedly be voted that way too). All very neat.

After things settle down for a while, Lady Nina (6.9%) and Usmanov (25%) will see that their leverage is gone, and Kroenke will make them offers they can’t refuse for their combined 31.9% of stock, bringing his total from 20.43% to 52.33%. Voila! Just a little bit of paperwork, and Arsenal is American!

Does Paddy Power offer odds on this sort of stuff?

Just hope Kroenke does better with Arsenal than with his Colorado Avalanche. They are currently bottom of the NHL!

John W

Round Rock Texas.

First Nicholas Bendtner is injured (knee)and now RVP has also gone down (groin). This is worrying especially considering it’s the same position and the other strikers are coming off injuries themselves and are thus still very much injury prone and that Theo is injured. This could really negatively impact the rest of our season. I really hate these international breaks!