The Arsenal manager says the partnership with MLS club Colorado Rapids is only to extend the club’s brand to the US.
LONDON: Arsene Wenger was adamant that Arsenal were not on the verge of becoming the latest English Premiership club to be taken over by a wealthy businessman from the United States.
However, the Gunners are to form a “ground-breaking” partnership with American side Colorado Rapids, owned by billionaire Stan Kroenke, but only to extend Arsenal’s brand to the USA and as part of Wenger’s policy of searching the globe for player talent.
Manchester United, Aston Villa and, most recently, Liverpool, are now all in American hands but Wenger, the manager of a club where the Hill-Wood family have been represented on the board for the best part of a hundred years, insisted Arsenal were not going the same way.
“There are enough Americans in the league now,” said Arsenal’s French manager. The link with the Rapids could lead to a name change for the Major League Soccer club and Wenger stressed it was no different from a host of similar schemes already involving Arsenal.
“We develop a few partnerships sometimes with football schools, sometimes with clubs. We try to extend our brand. We try to extend our technical corporation as well because the Americans might produce some players at some stage and that’s why we do it. It is not for a takeover.”
The Gunners will send coaches over to Colorado while promising players from the US side will be given the chance to train with the Arsenal team. Wenger, however, ruled out pre-season tours of the United States. “I don’t like the pre-season tours. I hope I can resist as long as I want because it is a lot of money that is offered. I have the final say.”
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein is understood to be in the USA at the moment. The Rapids’ will also be using Arsenal’s London Colney training ground as their base for a pre-season tour of England from March 8 to the 13.
Arsenal already have a partnership with Belgian side Beveren, from whom they signed Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue.
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