Aliko Dangote makes fresh Arsenal takeover statement amid $2bn Stan Kroenke buyout admission

Aliko Dangote appears to have closed the door on his dream to buy Arsenal. The billionaire - Africa's second richest man - has made no secret of his desire to own the north London club in the past.

In 2020 he stated his ambition to buy the Gunners from Stan Kroenke in an interview with the David Rubenstein Show in America. Dangote said then: "It is a team that yes I would like to buy some day, but what I keep saying is we have $20billion worth of projects and that's what I really want to concentrate on.

"I'm trying to finish building the company and then after we finish, maybe sometime in 2021 we can. I'm not buying Arsenal right now, I'm buying Arsenal when I finish all these projects, because I'm trying to take the company to the next level."

But he did not buy the Gunners in 2021, nor has he any plans to do so in the future now. The Dangote Refinery in Nigeria started producing fuel in January 2024 - eight years after construction began. Now it is complete, the chance to become Arsenal owner has gone.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Dangote said: "I think that time has passed. The last time we had this interview I told you as soon as I am finished with the refinery I am going to try and buy Arsenal, but the issue is that everything has gone up and the clubs too are all doing very well, Arsenal is doing extremely well.

"At that time Arsenal were not doing well. I don't have that kind of excess liquidity to go and buy a club for $4billion so to speak, I would rather do something else with the money."

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The billionaire businessman, who dropped to Africa's second richest man after 12 years as No.1, also admitted regretting not having the chance to buy the club, but not his decision to continue with the Dangote refinery.

He added: "I regret not buying it before, but my money was more needed to complete my project than buying Arsenal. I would have bought it for $2billion but I wouldn't have been able to finish my project.

"It was either finish your project or go and buy Arsenal and I think the best decision was to go and complete the refinery. I will continue to be the biggest fan of Arsenal, I will remain a major supporter, but I don't think it makes sense buying Arsenal."