Aliko Dangote Arsenal takeover latest: How much a deal could cost, bid to buy out Stan Kroenke

With Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote having previously stated that he would be interested in buying Arsenal, the Nigerian billionaire has now been told how much it would cost to acquire the club.

The Nigerian tycoon, who is believed to be the continent's richest man, has made no secret of his admiration for the Premier League side.

"I'm not buying Arsenal right now, I'm buying Arsenal when I finish all these projects, because I'm trying to take the company to the next level," he told The David Rubenstein Show in January.

"I'm trying to finish building the company, and then after we finish, maybe some time in 2021 we can [buy Arsenal]."

With Dangote making such a public plea, the topic came up at the Financial Times' Business of Football Summit, where Bob Ratcliffe – brother of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is one of Britain's richest men and has been linked with a takeover of Chelsea for years – claimed that any "top six" club would cost at least £2 billion, the Daily Mirror reported.

Meanwhile, a takeover of a Premier League club outside the top six would cost between £150 million and £350 million, according to Ratcliffe, who added: "They’re all for sale."

Dangote - the 88th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - has spoken about becoming Arsenal's owner on multiple occasions.

In June 2015, Dangote admitted he was interested in buying Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith’s 15.9 per cent stake in 2011, which were eventually purchased by Stan Kroenke

"There were a couple of us who were rushing to buy, and we thought with the prices then, the people who were interested in selling were trying to go for a kill. 

It remains to be seen whether or not Dangote will indeed make an attempt to buy Arsenal, who are currently owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the company owned by majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.

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