Arsenal has cut its debt by almost 40 percent to 203.6 million
pounds ($311. 6 million), maintaining its reputation as one of the
more stable clubs in the Premier League.
Buoyed by the sale of another 261 apartments in the Highbury
Square property development on the site of its former stadium, the
north London club made a pretax profit of 35.2 million pounds
($53.8 million) for the six months ending Nov. 30.
It cut its debt from 332.8 million pounds ($537.5 million)
the previous May.
The club has now sold 524 of the 655 Highbury Square
apartments and non-executive chairman Peter Hill-Wood said Friday
"the next couple of years will see our property activities
delivering surplus cash."
"I would not want to speculate on the exact quantum or timing
of this," Hill-Wood said. "How we will use this surplus remains
undecided but, in addition to investing in the team, I think we
will examine investment in club projects and infrastructure both in
and around Emirates Stadium."
Manager Arsene Wenger has so far refrained for the most part
from spending big money on high-profile players, but the
availability of cash could give his club an edge in the market over
top-four Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
United and Liverpool are both heavily indebted following
leveraged takeovers by American owners.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has bemoaned his inability to
spend heavily on players, while United has spent little of the
world-record 80 million pounds ($131 million) it received from Real
Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo in July.
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis said the profit was less
important than the reduction in debt.
"It's important to note that this isn't our primary
objective," Gazidis said. "The reason we run a responsible,
profitable and self-sustaining business is so that we can deliver
success to the club and invest in the club and ultimately deliver
success on the pitch, something that our fans can be proud of."
But Arsenal's success in this aspect could threaten its
independence.
Denver-based businessman Stan Kroenke is close to reaching
the share threshold required to launch a takeover bid for Arsenal,
while Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov is also rumored to be
interested in the club.
