TAKEOVER TALK WON'T AFFECT US - WENGER
Arsene Wenger insists it is business as usual at Arsenal despite continued speculation surrounding a potential takeover by American billionaire Stan Kroenke.
US-based Kroenke Sports Enterprise have a total stake of just over 11% in the Premiership club following purchases from ITV and, indirectly, director Danny Fiszman.
KSE - who also have interests in the likes of American football franchise St Louis Rams, NBA side Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche - already had an "innovative strategic relationship" with the Gunners via their Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein owns 13% of the club and has never indicated he would wish to sell up.
However, with his holding now reduced to 24.11%, if Geneva-based tax exile Fiszman chose to sell his entire stock to KSE that would take them well over the 30% threshold needed to launch a formal takeover bid for the club.
Earlier this week chairman Peter Hill-Wood admitted the board were "in the dark" over what Kroenke may have planed for Arsenal.
Wenger, though, remains pragmatic about the whole situation.
He said: "The chairman has said two things; one is he does not really know the intentions of this guy and two is that he is determined to keep the club under control with the board he has.
"That means 10% of shares have moved from one pocket to another, but that does not change the life inside the club nor would it affect the area where decisions are taken."
Wenger, meanwhile, revealed it would not be long before an announcement was made on both the futures of on-loan forward Julio Baptista and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who is out of contract this summer.
He added: "There is nothing decided with Baptista. I will make a decision on that at the end of April.
"The fact that he has not scored recently is down to the team's overall disappointment and that we are a little bit low, less spontaneous in our offensive game and therefore you will suffer in your offensive game."
The club are thought to be only offering a further 12-month contract to veteran German international Lehmann, 37. More
US-based Kroenke Sports Enterprise have a total stake of just over 11% in the Premiership club following purchases from ITV and, indirectly, director Danny Fiszman.
KSE - who also have interests in the likes of American football franchise St Louis Rams, NBA side Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche - already had an "innovative strategic relationship" with the Gunners via their Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein owns 13% of the club and has never indicated he would wish to sell up.
However, with his holding now reduced to 24.11%, if Geneva-based tax exile Fiszman chose to sell his entire stock to KSE that would take them well over the 30% threshold needed to launch a formal takeover bid for the club.
Earlier this week chairman Peter Hill-Wood admitted the board were "in the dark" over what Kroenke may have planed for Arsenal.
Wenger, though, remains pragmatic about the whole situation.
He said: "The chairman has said two things; one is he does not really know the intentions of this guy and two is that he is determined to keep the club under control with the board he has.
"That means 10% of shares have moved from one pocket to another, but that does not change the life inside the club nor would it affect the area where decisions are taken."
Wenger, meanwhile, revealed it would not be long before an announcement was made on both the futures of on-loan forward Julio Baptista and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who is out of contract this summer.
He added: "There is nothing decided with Baptista. I will make a decision on that at the end of April.
"The fact that he has not scored recently is down to the team's overall disappointment and that we are a little bit low, less spontaneous in our offensive game and therefore you will suffer in your offensive game."
The club are thought to be only offering a further 12-month contract to veteran German international Lehmann, 37. More
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