Filed under: Arsenal, Champions League, Premier League, Football
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's glib statement following Stan Kroenke's takeover belied a concern that he and every Gunners fan will have now that a non-football figure is in charge of the club: will he cash in on Cesc Fabregas?Wenger did his best to ease fans' fears - and possibly cover his own - by saying via the club website that he believes Kroenke "has the best interests of Arsenal at heart" and "understands the club's heritage and our ambition to run it in a way that protects its long-term future".
That's all very well. And while much of the focus on Kroenke's takeover has been surrounding speculation over how much he will give Wenger to spend, there is also the possibility that as a man who sees profit as a motivator, could eye the squad and see potential.
And Fabregas represents Kroenke's biggest chance of a quick buck. There is a buyer willing to pay a mammoth fee and the player himself is yet to convince he is fully committed to the north London club.
Plus, Wenger said only three days before Kroenke's buyout began that his squad have done "amazing things" considering their age and there are bags of potential coming through the ranks.
He added: "We have many big players in this team, and the future will tell you that. Whether they play here or somewhere else you'll realise they're big players.
"The way we are doing things is right. If I look at this team I'm proud of them, proud of the attitude of the players and the football we play."
Kroenke does not seem the kind of man who has eyes for a rapid profit, however Arsenal is the first top-level club - and more to the point, with top-level players - he has taken over. His teams in the US are not exactly fighting for national honours on a regular basis.
What may be worrying for Gunners fans is that Kroenke did offload a clutch of profitable players from his Denver Nuggets NBA team at the end of last season.
Star man Carmelo Anthony and local boy Chauncey Billups were part of a multi-player trade, which, according to some pundits left them short of bodies - prompting coach George Karl to calm the fans by saying: "It's not like we lost everybody."
The Arsenal manager will seek assurance from Kroenke that he will hang on to Fabregas, who came close to leaving for Barcelona last summer. But to a businessman, a £40 million fee - which is what Arsenal demanded the Nou Camp pay - is not to be sniffed at.
It would be especially desirable when you consider Wenger's assertions above that there is a big future coming through the Gunners' ranks - and therefore, people to potentially fill the void.
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