Vieira sale boosts profits/ £4m Cole?/ Henry/ Hoyte/ Kone

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Arsenal Holdings group turnover increased to £57.0 million (2004: £49.3 million), profits from sale of player registrations, inclusive of the transfer of Vieira, amounted to £13.5 million (2004: £0.8 million) and group’s profit before taxation increased to £14.7 million (2004: £2.7 million). 

Figures for the six months to Nov 30, 2005, show the club has £53 million available – £24 million in advance ticket sales for the new stadium, plus an undisclosed amount from sale deposits for flats.

But Arsenal spent £54m on the stadium in the last six months.

Without the sale of Vieira the profit before tax would have been £2.4m and only £200,000 from football (the rest from property development).

After the period covered by these latest accounts, Arsenal bought Theo Walcott, Manuel Adebayor and Vassiriki Diaby for £11.8 million (rising potentially to £20m), and gained £3.3 million from the sale of David Bentley, Quincy Owusu-Abeiye and Graham Stack (which could also rise depending on appearances and future sales).

The report says: “At an operational level, turnover in our football business grew to £52.5 million(2004: £48.4 million) mainly as a result of strong performance from our retail business, where sales benefited from the popularity of the commemorative redcurrant shirt, and our commercial division where we received an additional royalty payment from Nike triggered by the level of worldwide sales of Arsenal branded merchandise.

“The property development business completed the sale of one of its smaller remaining sites generating turnover for the period of £4.5 million (2004: £0.9million). We continue to progress completion of the sale of our property development site at Drayton Park.”

On the stadium, financial wire services report more than 18,000 season tickets have already been allocated, all executive boxes are now reserved and pre-sale of ‘Club Level’ seating stands at 90%.

Arsenal placed large, colour adverts in several national newspapers this week, reminding fans that only 638 Club Level seats at the new Emirates Stadium remain on general sale.

Still on a business theme, Arsenal are exhibiting at Confex, promoting its forthcoming relocation to the Emirates Stadium and offering its new extensive conference and banqueting facilities, from July. Virtual reality tours are on offer, along with a signed Gunners shirt and a chance to meet Arsenal legends Kenny Sansom and Charlie George.

Cole   

The Daily Mail says Arsenal will offer Cole a new £4m/year deal.

Wenger said: “We’ve beaten Real Madrid and now my whole team is going to play for them. Ashley is more committed and his attitude has never been a problem. He only signed a one-year contract because we had to give him a big pay rise and we could only do that by extending his contract.

“I was ready to give him three or four more years. At the end of the season he will have two years left, so we will sit down in September or October.”

Henry

Although Real’s Perez has come out and said he thinks Henry will stay, Hills have merely trimmed their odds on Henry kicking off next season at The Emirates Stadium from 6-4 to 11-8. They make him 8-15 NOT to be at Arsenal come August.

Hoyte

It is reported that Justin Hoyte has turned down the chance to play in the World Cup for Trinidad and Tobago.

Hoyte said: “It’s flattering but I plan to concentrate purely on England. That’s been my dream.”

Kone  

The Mail says Arsenal are keeping tabs on Ivory Coast striker Aruona Kone with a view to a summer bid. Kone has been watched by Arsenal in his last seven games for PSV Eindhoven, where he is on loan from Roda JC. He has already indicated he wants to move to the Premiership.

£5m-rated Kone, 22, is close friends with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure and had a good African Nations Cup campaign for the Ivory Coast.

Campbell

Sol Campbell was spotted looking for shops and office space yesterday at a Jones Lang LaSalle auction at the Langham Hotel in London.

Postscript  

Alan Hansen, pre Madrid said in The Telegraph: “The one consolation is that Real Madrid will not adopt the tactics that every English team have been using against Arsenal with increasing success. Madrid will not put banks of men behind the ball and defend deep, they will not put their foot in, and they will not try to muscle Arsenal out of the game. Other than that, you cannot have much confidence in their chances at the Bernabeu.

“Wenger would point out that some 15 members of his squad are under 21 and that he is building for the future but so much about football is winning in the here and now rather than a few years down the line.

“If Arsenal are humiliated by Real Madrid and fail to qualify for the Champions League, there is no way you can see Henry staying. Arsenal may be building for a future they don’t have.”

Pre-Madrid The Telegraph said Arsenal should have bought Sutton or Ashton, while The Guardian said Bullard or Barton.

Vieira sale boosts profits/ £4m Cole?/ Henry/ Hoyte/ Kone

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By Ian Grant

Arsenal Holdings group turnover increased to £57.0 million (2004: £49.3 million), profits from sale of player registrations, inclusive of the transfer of Vieira, amounted to £13.5 million (2004: £0.8 million) and group’s profit before taxation increased to £14.7 million (2004: £2.7 million).

Figures for the six months to Nov 30, 2005, show the club has £53 million available – £24 million in advance ticket sales for the new stadium, plus an undisclosed amount from sale deposits for flats.

But Arsenal spent £54m on the stadium in the last six months.

Without the sale of Vieira the profit before tax would have been £2.4m and only £200,000 from football (the rest from property development).

After the period covered by these latest accounts, Arsenal bought Theo Walcott, Manuel Adebayor and Vassiriki Diaby for £11.8 million (rising potentially to £20m), and gained £3.3 million from the sale of David Bentley, Quincy Owusu-Abeiye and Graham Stack (which could also rise depending on appearances and future sales).

The report says: “At an operational level, turnover in our football business grew to £52.5 million(2004: £48.4 million) mainly as a result of strong performance from our retail business, where sales benefited from the popularity of the commemorative redcurrant shirt, and our commercial division where we received an additional royalty payment from Nike triggered by the level of worldwide sales of Arsenal branded merchandise.

“The property development business completed the sale of one of its smaller remaining sites generating turnover for the period of £4.5 million (2004: £0.9million). We continue to progress completion of the sale of our property development site at Drayton Park.”

On the stadium, financial wire services report more than 18,000 season tickets have already been allocated, all executive boxes are now reserved and pre-sale of ‘Club Level’ seating stands at 90%.

Arsenal placed large, colour adverts in several national newspapers this week, reminding fans that only 638 Club Level seats at the new Emirates Stadium remain on general sale.

Still on a business theme, Arsenal are exhibiting at Confex, promoting its forthcoming relocation to the Emirates Stadium and offering its new extensive conference and banqueting facilities, from July. Virtual reality tours are on offer, along with a signed Gunners shirt and a chance to meet Arsenal legends Kenny Sansom and Charlie George.

Cole

The Daily Mail says Arsenal will offer Cole a new £4m/year deal.

Wenger said: “We’ve beaten Real Madrid and now my whole team is going to play for them. Ashley is more committed and his attitude has never been a problem. He only signed a one-year contract because we had to give him a big pay rise and we could only do that by extending his contract.

“I was ready to give him three or four more years. At the end of the season he will have two years left, so we will sit down in September or October.”

Henry

Although Real’s Perez has come out and said he thinks Henry will stay, Hills have merely trimmed their odds on Henry kicking off next season at The Emirates Stadium from 6-4 to 11-8. They make him 8-15 NOT to be at Arsenal come August.

Hoyte

It is reported that Justin Hoyte has turned down the chance to play in the World Cup for Trinidad and Tobago.

Hoyte said: “It’s flattering but I plan to concentrate purely on England. That’s been my dream.”

Kone

The Mail says Arsenal are keeping tabs on Ivory Coast striker Aruona Kone with a view to a summer bid. Kone has been watched by Arsenal in his last seven games for PSV Eindhoven, where he is on loan from Roda JC. He has already indicated he wants to move to the Premiership.

£5m-rated Kone, 22, is close friends with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure and had a good African Nations Cup campaign for the Ivory Coast.

Campbell

Sol Campbell was spotted looking for shops and office space yesterday at a Jones Lang LaSalle auction at the Langham Hotel in London.

Postscript

Alan Hansen, pre Madrid said in The Telegraph: “The one consolation is that Real Madrid will not adopt the tactics that every English team have been using against Arsenal with increasing success. Madrid will not put banks of men behind the ball and defend deep, they will not put their foot in, and they will not try to muscle Arsenal out of the game. Other than that, you cannot have much confidence in their chances at the Bernabeu.

“Wenger would point out that some 15 members of his squad are under 21 and that he is building for the future but so much about football is winning in the here and now rather than a few years down the line.

“If Arsenal are humiliated by Real Madrid and fail to qualify for the Champions League, there is no way you can see Henry staying. Arsenal may be building for a future they don’t have.”

Pre-Madrid The Telegraph said Arsenal should have bought Sutton or Ashton, while The Guardian said Bullard or Barton.