If you thought Arsenal had a good couple of years, that’s nothing compared to their owner Stan Kroenke.
The Gunners are finally back to their title-challenging best under manager Mikel Arteta, with the deadwood fully cleared out of their squad and a crop of young talent the envy of every side in the world.
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Even despite ending last season trophyless as Premier League runners-up to Manchester City, the Emirates is revitalised and so are the club’s finances with £200million spent this summer, including a record for £105m Declan Rice.
All of that marks a huge turnaround under the previously derided ‘Silent Stan’ and it’s easy to see why with a glance over at the NFL.
The 76-year-old billionaire’s Los Angeles Rams are the fifth most valuable sports team in the world, according to new research from Forbes.
Kroenke bought the team in 2010 for $750m, and moved them from St. Louis back to LA in what was a controversial decision.
But as far as the finances are concerned, it was a stroke of genius, with the two-time Super Bowl champions now worth $6.9billion [£5.5bn].
Their most recent title came in 2021 under Kroenke’s stewardship, which will certainly be the kind of change in fortunes Arsenal fans are dreaming of.
But there’s more to add hope too, with Kroenke’s Colorado Avalanche also winning the NHL’s Stanley Cup in 2022, their first championship in 21 years, while the NBA’s Denver Nuggets won their first-ever championship this year.
The valuation of the Rams is all the more astonishing when you factor in the Missourian’s purchase price of $750m, while their valuation has gone up by 116 per cent in the last five years.
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The good news doesn’t end there for the Gunners, the Rams or the Avalanche, with Kroenke currently valued as the second richest person in sport with a valuation of $14.4bn [£12.35bn], behind only Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys on $14.5bn [£12.43].
That also leaves Kroenke as the 120th richest person alive at the time of writing, with his US sports millions clearly trickling down into Arteta’s transfer kitty.
Interestingly in Forbes’ valuations is the financial might of the NFL, with 30 of the top 50 coming from the 32-team American football league.
Arsenal aren’t in the ranking with the Kroenke sister team, but a number of football sides are.
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Real Madrid rank highest at 11th on $6.07bn [£5.20bn], with Manchester United just behind in 13th on $6bn [£5.14bn].
Top 20 most valuable sports teams in the world:
- Dallas Cowboys $9bn
- New York Yankees $7.1bn
- Golden State Warriors $7bn
- New England Patriots $7bn
- Los Angeles Rams $6.9bn
- New York Giants $6.8bn
- Chicago Bears $6.3bn
- Las Vegas Raiders $6.2bn
- New York Knicks $6.1bn
- New York Jets $6.1bn
- Real Madrid $6.07bn
- Washington Commanders $6.05bn
- Manchester United $6bn
- San Francisco 49ers $6bn
- Los Angeles Lakers $5.9bn
- Philadelphia Eagles $5.8bn
- Miami Dolphins $5.7bn
- Barcelona $5.508bn
- Houston Texans $5.5bn
- Liverpool $5.228bn
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