Recently, Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick made an interesting statement during his pre-match press conference. He noted Chelsea aren’t the only club that had Russian owners.
Rangnick pointed out both Arsenal and Everton had Russian owners in the past. Notably, Chelsea Football Club are in the middle of a crisis after the UK Government placed sanctions on Roman Abramovich.
As a result, the current European Champions might find themselves in deep trouble going forward this season and also next season.
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During the press conference, Rangnick said, ?Not only at Chelsea but also at Arsenal and at Everton, there were some ownership shares by Russian oligarchs, so this is not the only club.?
Here Rangnick is most probably talking about Alisher Usmanov. Alisher Usmanov had been linked to Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Everton in the past. Back in 2017, Usmanov?s USM Holdings company had a five-year sponsorship of Everton?s training ground.
However, Everton have recently suspended ties with the Russian companies linked to Alisher Usmanov. But Everton were not the only club Usmanov had an interest in. The Russian was also a shareholder of Arsenal Football Club.
On the business end, Arsenal and Manchester United are currently fighting for the 4th spot on the Premier League table. But unfortunately, Everton have struggled this season. As a result, they now find themselves at the lower end of the Premier League table.
Can Manchester United displace Arsenal from the 4th spot in the Premier League table?
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As things stand, Mikel Arteta?s Arsenal are the clear favorites for the last Champions League spot. Arsenal have 1 point more than United. And they also have three games in hand. To add to United?s problems, they have an extremely tough run of fixtures ahead.
Ralf Rangnick?s men are yet to face Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Not to forget, they also have an away match against Arsenal. It looks like Manchester United might miss out on securing Champions League football for next season. And if so, golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo might begin to look elsewhere.
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Are you backing United for a top 4 finish in the Premier League?
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