By IANS
London : Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has said he is interested in buying English Premiership team Arsenal.
In an exclusive interview with The Times, the Formula One impresario revealed that he would be “interested in buying the club today”, if it were on the market.
But his aspirations will have to wait for an agreement, signed by five Arsenal directors who control a crucial 45 percent of the club’s share holding, to expire.
Their commitment is to resist any takeover attempt until next April. By then, though, the price could surpass the 790 million pounds price what Malcolm Glazer paid for Manchester United.
Arsenal are currently valued at 432 million pounds but the price could rise sharply between now and April, when the lock-out agreement expires, the paper said.
Ecclestone, whose fortune is valued worth 2.2 billion pounds ($4.4 billion), is friends with the north London side’s former chairman David Dein who left the club last season in a row over the club’s future.
An Ecclestone takeover could pave the way for Dein to return to the club to run it.
“The directors at Arsenal don’t want to sell and have signed a lock-out agreement for a year, so we will have to wait and see what happens then,” said Ecclestone.
“A lot can change in that time. I am still very interested. If I could buy Arsenal I would, but I would want control.”
If he makes a bid, Ecclestone could face competition from American billionaire Stan Kroenke, who already controls a 12.2 percent stake in Arsenal and has been tipped to table a formal bid for control.