Africa's richest man has revealed his plans to purchase Premier League side Arsenal.
Aliko Dangote, worth an estimated £10 billion, has been heavily vocal about his intentions of buying the club and is still desperate to take ownership of the FA Cup winners.
Dangote, an Arsenal fan, made his money in Dangote Cement Plc - mainly operating from headquarters in Lagos. He lost a staggering $4.4 billion in 2016, partially down to the fall of the Nigerian economy.
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Image: PA
However the 60-year old says he will put his plans into action once the construction of an $11 billion oil refinery in Lagos, is done and dusted.
And if he is successful in his attempts to buy the club, his first move will be to get rid of long-time manager Arsene Wenger, even if the Frenchman has only just signed a new two-year extension to his contract at the Emirates.
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As quoted by Bloomberg, he said:
"If they get the right offer, I'm sure they would walk away. Someone will give them an offer that will make them seriously consider walking away.
"And when we finish the refinery, I think we will be in a position to do that.
"The first thing I would change is the coach. He has done a good job, but someone else should also try his luck."
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Dangote's comments are a follow up to his words about purchasing Arsenal back in September. Again speaking to Bloomberg,he expressed his interest in making it all happen in "three to four years".
"Maybe three to four years. The issue is that we have more challenging headwinds. I need to get those out the way first and start having tailwinds. Then I'll focus on this.
"It's not about buying Arsenal and just continuing with business as usual. It's about buying Arsenal and turning it around. I've run a very successful business and I think I can also run a very successful team. Right now, with what we're facing, over $20 billion of projects, I cannot do both."
Image: PA
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American Stan Kroenke currently has a 67 per cent stake in Arsenal and also owns MLS side Colorado Rapids, while Alisher Usmanov, has a 30 per cent share in the club.
Should Dangote stick to his plans and make the unlikely acquisition, he would become the first African to purchase a Premier League team.
Arsenal fans, what are your thoughts on the news? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Football, Premier League, Arsenal