The connections between Uzbeki champions Bunyondkur, a murkily financed new Super Club backed by a murderous regime, and Barcelona appear to go far beyond the similarity of their badges, and cast a shadow on Barcelona's global reputation for unusual integrity.

Good, perhaps great, news from The Indy:

In the previous two seasons, Wenger has said that the club must sell a player every year to help service the annual £24m payments on the Emirates Stadium. He has sold Thierry Henry and Alexander Hleb – both to Barcelona – over the last two seasons and the evidence suggests that a further sale will be in order this year if he is to continue financing the club.

Another excellent piece of journalism by perhaps the best blogger out there at present as Arseblog delves deeper into the boardroom kerfuffle at the Emirates.

It looks like the gloves are coming off and the relationships between our biggest shareholders are going to be increasingly tested over the next little while.

The takeover battle at Arsenal, the one remaining top four club in predominantly English ownership, has hotted up. American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke has become the largest shareholder with a 28 per cent stake by acquiring the holdings of the Carr family who had more shares than was generally realised.

Having seen Stan Kroenke increase his stake by two shares yesterday, our loveable Russian has once again entered the fray and gone straight to the heart of our problem. The massive debt mountain we have, but more particular the £135 million loan that is associated with the Highbury Square development.

So forgive me, if for once, I choose to not talk about Hull and rather focus the gist of my piece on Barcelona instead.

I received an email from Craig Murray (if you haven't heard of Craig Murray, here's his Wikipedia page), who sent me a link to a disturbing image and article centered around Barcelona a club, he purports, supports a fascist dictatorship.

by VIC CRESCIT In a light week for Arsenal on-field news I thought I'd pause today and have a look at the future prospects for ownership at Arsenal.

Yesterday saw a bloc of 32 Arsenal Holdings shares traded off-market. I think it's reasonable to assume that Alisher Usmanov's Red & White Holdings Ltd was the buyer.

Arsenal says Kroenke raises stake to 28.3

• Reuters, Saturday May 2 2009

* Kroenke lifts stake in Arsenal to 28.

The Arsenal Shareholders meet today to discuss all things Arsenal followed by a Gala Dinner. There may well be two notable absentees in the form of Alisher Usmanov and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith. The question that should be on our lips is "Why do we need yet another rich tycoon to save Arsenal Football Club?

What a turbulent week, Wenger throws away a line about Real Madrid and suddenly we felt like the roof hade caved in on our little world. Everyone came out in support of Wenger.

Hill-Wood came out like the proud rooster, strutting his stuff about how disgraceful those shareholders were and how dare they question a man like Wenger.

It's now or never for Arsenal Football Club. Stan Kroenke has been mopping up small shareholdings over the last couple of weeks to raise his share in the club to 29.8%. He is a fraction below the mandatory bid figure of 29.9%.

It was rumoured that he bought 100 shares from Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood; this is the same man who famously said, "We do not need his sort at this club.

Last week, Stan Kroenke increased his stake in the club 29.9% and I'd like to speculate, along with others, on what that will likely mean for the future of the club we all love. Mostly, I'd like to respond to an article by David Tully that was posted on Football FanCast this past week. Sadly, fear-mongering has been a great feature of this struggle for controlling interest in the club initiated by David Dein in the wake of his exit from the club.

The Arsenal Shareholders meet today to discuss all things Arsenal followed by a Gala Dinner. There may well be two notable absentees in the form of Alisher Usmanov and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith. The question that should be on our lips is "Why do we need yet another rich tycoon to save Arsenal Football Club?

This week could be a monumental week in the history of the ownership of Arsenal Football Club.

At a board meeting this week, the directors will discuss, amongst other matter the option of raising additional capital.

Alisher Usmanov has sent a letter to the club formally offering to under-write a £100 million rights issue.

By now Cesc's mouth must have turned to mush issuing denials that he is leaving Arsenal.

The Sun reports that Arsenal will seriously considering selling Cesc Fabregas if they can find a club that can offer £40 million. As usual it is Real Madrid and Barca, the usual suspects who are preparing a bid.

A few things have occurred to me in these last few days when talk 0nce again turned to Lady Nina's shares and what was to happen to them.........

I have always been of the opinion that David Dein was merely waiting in the wings for his opportunity to return to the club that he loves and supports and that he ran for the best part of 24 years.

Stan Kroenke continues to edge closer to a takeover of Arsenal. He is now at a 29.6% shareholding, just shy of the 29.9% that by city rules would trigger a takeover bid. The Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST) sent out a press release about the news today, which stated that they were opposed to a takeover by Kroenke (and also mentioned they did not believe one was imminent anyway).

It is a two way battle between Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov and the balance of power lies with Nina Bracewell- Smith and her family's 15.9% stake holding.

Usmanov bought more shares to increase his share to 26.07%. I think the Kazakh is trying to maneuver himself into a " I told you so" position if Arsenal lands up with yet another trophy less season.

I have to admit this is one retun I am glad to see. After getting match fit in the reserves, and helping Croatia to a friendly victory, Eduardo Da Silva returned to the Arsenal starting eleven in glorious fashion Monday night as his two goals blasted Arsenal into the fifth round of the FA Cup in [..

Ronaldo is worth more than the salaries of 5,291,370 Eritreans

If Eritrea is brazen enough to bid for Ronaldo, they will have to virtually cede the total market value of all consumer goods and services produced annually to be able to afford his buyout clause of 1,000,000,000 euros. There are 30 countries with annual GDP's less than CR's value which include Bhutan, Guyana, Liberia, Burundi, BVI, and all of the Pacific atoll.

NEVER let the facts get in the way of a good story. First rule of football journalism. Make that tabloid journalism. And the edict has been adhered to with gusto in today's Daily Star.

The paper claims that Barcelona will snatch Cesc Fabregas from the Gunners once they have sold Samuel Eto'o to Manchester City for £40m.

Earlier this week, Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov made a bid for control of the New Jersey Nets, which plays in America's professional basketball league, the NBA. If accepted, Prokhorov would join rapper Jay-Z, who has a minority stake in the team and is seeking to move it across the Hudson River to his hometown of Brooklyn.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hinted he wouldn't be happy if the club was to be taken over.
With major shareholders Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov both spoiling for a potential takeover bid, Wenger said: "Our way is the right way because it doesn't depend on any individual.
"It acknowledges the club is basically the property of the supporters.

by CARL ELDRIDGE Arsene Wenger chose his 60th birthday to declare that the rip-roaring Gunners will win a trophy this season, claims the Daily Mail.

Playing catch-up with our own Vic Crescit's brilliant report from yesterday's AGM, this morning's paper says Wenger retains the total faith of the board and fans for his glittering achievements during more than 13 years as the club's longest-serving manager and the way his teams play despite it being four years since Arsenal won any silverware.

by CARL ELDRIDGE Congratulations to Rob Shepherd for today's most fanciful tale suggesting that Arsene Wenger will leave the Arsenal for Real Madrid if Alisher Usmanov takes over at the Emirates.

In the News of the World he 'reports': I understand Wenger has made it plain to the Gunners board he will not work under Usmanov and would move to Real Madrid instead.

As news filters through that Stan Kroenke has purchased 25 more shares of Arsenal Football Club edging him closer to the 30% threshold for the mandatory takeover bid, it has become apparent to the fans that they might be looking at the future owner of the club.

Having Kroenke as the owner of the club will not be bad.

On Monday, it was announced that Stan Kroenke had purchased another 25 shares in Arsenal Football Club for £212,500, bringing him within 17 shares of being forced to launch a takeover bid. Of course, it must be stressed that even the seemingly apocalyptic figure of 29.99% does not mean anything is going to happen.