Arsenal co-owner Alisher Usmanov has moved to the top of the UK Sunday Times Rich List in 2013 – ousting steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal from the number one position.
Mr Usmanov, 59, who eclipses fellow Russian Roman Abramovich – also an owner of a London Premier League club, Chelsea – in terms of wealth, is worth £13.3billion according to the list.
Mr Abramovich drops from third on last year's list to fifth this year, with his estimated wealth dropping from £9.3bn from £9.5bn in 2012.
The two football owners join a third Russian-born billionaire, Warner Music owner Len Blavatnik, on the list. He rises to second, up from fifth last year, with a personal fortune amounting to £11bn.
Mr Usmanov has been frustrated in his attempts to secure a controlling share in Arsenal in recent years, currently holding 30 per cent of the club along with fellow board member Stan Kroenke.
The list, which is published tomorrow, sees only one UK-born individual in the top 10. The Duke of Westminster is placed eighth – dropping one spot from last year despite his wealth growing from £7.35bn in 2012 to £7.8bn this year.
In other Arsenal news, Jack Wilshere is set to miss England's two summer internationals.
The Arsenal midfielder may require surgery to clear up a nagging problem with the ankle injury that kept him out of action for more than a year.
The 21-year-old was a substitute in the Gunners' 1-0 victory at Fulham yesterday and came on for the last 19 minutes.
He had been sidelined for five weeks after he was injured in the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham last month but was in the starting line-up for recent matches against Norwich and Everton.
Although the current injury is not serious, Wilshere may need surgery to replace a pin inserted into his ankle during the original operation in September 2011.
An end-of-season op would rule him out of the friendly matches against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on May 29 and the prestige clash in Brazil on June 2.
Even if it is decided that an operation is not required, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is contemplating asking England boss Roy Hodgson to give Wilshere a break, once the domestic action has finished.
Wilshere has had a testing time and Wenger clearly feels the 21-year-old would benefit from a complete rest this summer, in readiness for next season.
Meanwhile, Steve Bould has emerged as a surprise candidate to replace Tony Pulis at Stoke.
- Metro,Mirror
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