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FourFourTwo
Sport
Mark White

Arsenal cult hero and billionaire Mathieu Flamini suggests he could buy club one day

Arsenal old boy, GF Biochemical CEO and former french football player Mathieu Flamini poses during a studio photo shoot in Paris on August 30, 2022.

Arsenal could be bought out by former midfielder Mathieu Flamini.

The French midfielder co-founded GF Biochemicals in 2008 alongside business partner Pasquale Granata. Flamini has made far more money from the firm than he ever did in football, however, with GF Biochemicals becoming the first company in the world to mass-produce levulinic acid, a sustainable alternative to oil-based products.

In 2020, Forbes estimated the ex-Gunner – who also played for Marseille, AC Milan, Crystal Palace and Getafe – to be worth £10 billion. This is roughly the same amount as current Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke – and now Flamini has refused to rule out buying his former side from the US businessman. 

Arsenal fans have been critical of the Kroenke ownership in the past (Image credit: PA)

"Football is the No.1 sport, it is driving so much attention, the hot issues of this world should also be on the agenda of the governing bodies," he told The Athletic.

"It's a world that I belong to. If there is the right opportunity at the right time and the right discussion, if I meet people who are the same vision and mindset and desire to use football for a purpose, I would love to," Flamini continued.

"Obviously those clubs [Marseille, Arsenal and AC Milan] have a special place in my heart. I never forget where I come from. In life, you never know but it's all about the right opportunity. I'm a real believer in the right time, right place, right people.

"We'll see what the future is made of. I'm a believer. If you want something very much, the universe usually brings it to you. Let's see what the universe will bring."

Flamini played for Arsenal in two spells – and is best loved for scoring against Tottenham to knock them out of the League Cup in 2015 (Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Despite Flamini suggesting he might bid for the Gunners, however, it seems as if the current ownership are not interested in selling. 

“We remain 100 per cent committed to Arsenal and are not selling any stake in the club. We have not received any offer and we will not entertain any offer,” Arsenal's ownership, Kroenke Sports Entertainment declared in 2021, amid public interest from Spotify founder, Daniel Ek. “Our ambition for Arsenal remains to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and our focus remains on improving our competitiveness on the pitch to achieve this.”

More Arsenal stories

Ray Parlour says that since football moves in cycles, the next era of dominance in the Premier League could well belong to Arsenal.

Andre Onana is being rumoured for Arsenal's midfield, Bundesliga star Djibril Sow and Dusan Vlahovic have been touted, while existing players are said to be on the cusp of exits. Folarin Balogun is one, being linked with AC Milan.

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