Revealed: Roman Abramovich came close to buying Arsenal
Karan Tejwani
- 21 Sept 2022 09:55 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea enjoyed an era of success under Roman Abramovich between 2003 and 2022, but things could have been very different for them and Arsenal had it not been for a few decisions.
In a new book by Wall Street journalists Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg called The Club, it’s been revealed that Abramovich was interested in buying the Gunners before his move for Chelsea.
It’s believed that in 2003, Abramovich was exploring the opportunity to buy Arsenal, but was told by Swiss bank UBS that Arsenal were “categorically not for sale,” forcing him to look elsewhere in London.
It’s also believed that had the right offer arrived for Arsenal, then chairman David Dein would’ve been receptive to a sale, proving that the landscape of English football could’ve been very different today.
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Abramovich had ambitious plans
Arsenal weren’t the only London club Abramovich was interested in buying at the time, as he was exploring other options with a view to creating a dynasty in English football.
He also met with Tottenham’s owners, according to the book, and he had ambitious plans no matter which club was under his control.
While at Chelsea, the book claims that Abramovich wanted to buy Thierry Henry, who was Arsenal’s focal point and was at the peak of his powers at the time, leading the Premier League’s scoring charts.
On this day in 2007, Jose Mourinho left Chelsea after tensions increased between himself and Roman Abramovich.
The Portuguese boss left by 'mutual consent' but returned as Chelsea boss in 2013.
Here are some of the best moments from the 'Special One'. 🍿pic.twitter.com/wH90uS9fGv— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) September 19, 2022
He ended up taking over at Chelsea and built several successful squads and had a host of top managers and players, adding six Premier League titles and two Champions League honours, in addition to several cup successes.
Additionally, he brought in some of the world’s finest talent, including Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard and others.
Abramovich’s ownership of the club ended earlier this year following government sanctions on him after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, and Todd Boehly’s consortium took charge.
