Alisher Usmanov says he’s happy with his position as the club’s second largest shareholder, but says he’s always ready to increase his stake.

In an article for Bloomberg in which he describes his World Cup memories, the Uzbeki oligarch touched on his association with Arsenal, describing it as ‘a business investment.’

“Many people ask me why I bought my stake in Arsenal, rather than spending the money on Russian football,” he wrote.

“The fact is, I invest millions in Russian sport each year – an amount far in excess of my Arsenal investment. But I also think it’s worth pointing out that the English Premier League is a highly organized sports business and Arsenal is, first and foremost, a business investment for me.

“It is one of the leading clubs in terms of how its commercial operations are managed, and I am absolutely convinced it will be a successful investment. I am fine with the size of the stake I have in Arsenal now, but I’m always ready to increase it.

“One other thing: the taxes that I will pay on my profits from this venture will be paid in Russia, thereby potentially finding their way back to Russian football.”

Usmanov currently holds 18,695 shares via his Red and White Holdings Ltd company, giving him a total of 30.04% while Stan Kroenke’s KSE holds 41,596 shares for a holding of 66.85%.

Shareholding info from here.