Financial football versus fútbol

The good news is Stan Kroenke said he is planning to open his wallet for new additions and retaining some of his best football players.

The bad news is, it may be the wrong football team if you are a Rams fan.

Following his takeover in St. Louis, Kroenke shelled out another reported $1.2 billion for the North London soccer squad, Arsenal F.C. in April.

His sports team stable now includes the Rams, Arsenal, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, the AFL Colorado Crush, the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team and the MLS Colorado Rapids.

There must be some question in the back of Rams’ fans minds as to how he will facilitate free agent signings when his finances are stretched further than the length of the Gateway Arch.

Arsenal’s needs may be the most pressing as the team has not won the English Premier League title since 2003 and has never won the prestigious Champions League trophy.

Kroenke has already committed to breaking the bank for midfielder Samir Nasri to the tune of around $178,000 per-week during the upcoming EPL season, and may pay even more to keep Cesc Fabregas from moving to Barcelona. 

This doesn’t include the reported 60 million extra pounds Arsenal is rumored to have to spend on new talent to end the silverware drought at Emirates stadium.

Rams fans may not care to watch soccer, but there should be some concern over an entrepreneurial owner who could be delegating money to pay Nasri while Mark Clayton sits at home without a new deal.

Granted, there is a lockout to deal with and Clayton is coming off an injury, but his contract is only the tip of the iceberg.

As the owners and players near an agreement for a new collective bargaining agreement, there are rumors that free agency could go back to the pre-2010 system where players can become unrestricted free agents after their fourth season in the NFL.

This would open the door for St. Louis to sign some defensive stalwarts like Eric Weddle, Barry Cofield or Mathias Kiwanuka.

They could also get some offensive help in Sidney Rice or Santonio Holmes, along with that ever-elusive backup running back in Ahmad Bradshaw or Michael Bush to spell S-Jax.

Hopefully Kroenke decides to spend equally on his teams on both sides of the pond.

However, if he decides his cash flow is better served bringing players to Arsenal, the Rams could be the losers in this game of financial football versus fútbol.