Mikel Arteta has appealed to Arsenal owners as Sheikh Jassim looks to buy Manchester United from the Glazers.
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has given his opinion on Mikel Arteta's claim following Sheikh Jassim's bid to buy Manchester United. The Qatar-backed takeover attempt at Old Trafford is facing competition from INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the Gunners boss urges his side to react on the pitch should the Glazers sell to Jassim.
With Middle Eastern money at the top of the Premier League as Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund takes over Newcastle in addition to Manchester City receiving a major investment from Abu Dhabi - Arsenal with the man behind US business Kroenke in charge could be the team UK only next season. Champions League without Gulf support.
Arteta believes Arsenal need to capitalize on their current top spot to compete with Manchester City, Newcastle and potentially United. "It's the best time because it's the moment - right now," Arteta said.
“The best times are when you have something and you're trying to get it, especially in elite sports… Because you don't know when you'll get another chance. That is what we are trying to do. We're going to Newcastle to win and stay there.
"Definitely we have to compete with those teams, because we are Arsenal football club. The requirement is that we have to do our best, so we have to find a way to do it. there."
A few years ago, however, club owner Kroenke spoke at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference in Boston and offered his thoughts on the Middle East's investment in the Premier League and their views on it. Winning trophies could worry Arteta - as he pushes the club to continue this season.
“For me, as an individual owner, I have to have some sort of reality involved. If you wanted to win a championship, you'd never be in," Kroenke said in 2016. “I think the best owners in the sport are the ones who see both sides a little bit. If you don't have a good business, you can't really go after the top players unless you just want to rely on other sources of income.
"There [in the Premier League] it's like 'ah, we have people from the Middle East, oil prices are over $100, they can spend whatever they want.' But the point is that I seen with all of this; these people can lose interest.
"That doesn't mean they will, but I threw this:
"What happens when the family from the Middle East, this stuff is very expensive, and they decide to go home?" I said what really happens in these situations is that the fans get hurt because the players are picked and paid if they play well, the front office takes other jobs.
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