Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has ruled out following the
likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool by selling out to
foreign owners.
"The major shareholders have no intention of selling and
wouldn't welcome an offer," Hill-Wood told the BBC on Monday.
However he did not rule out talking to Russian billionaire
Alisher Usmanov, who bought a 14.58 percent stake in the club last
month from former vice-chairman David Dein.
"We will have a dialogue with any principal or major
shareholder," Hill-Wood said. "If they've got some sensible
proposals we'll listen to them."
Dein, who believes Arsenal needs foreign investment to compete
for the game's big prizes, quit the club in April because of his
support for US billionaire Stan Kroenke. Kroenke bought a 12
percent stake in the club.
Hill-Wood said he had no problem with foreign investors in the
Premier League but said Arsenal would continue to be run on
traditional business lines.
"We have always run Arsenal as a business and kept within
reasonable bounds," he said.
"Most of them are investment people and they're not buying into
clubs because they have the passion for the local team they have
supported since they were two years old."
(China Daily via Agencies September 12, 2007)