April 27 – Spotify owner Daniel Ek has expressed interest in acquiring Arsenal and is reportedly preparing a bid, along with club legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
Current Arsenal owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) have come under mounting pressure from the club’s fan base for their role in the European Super League (ESL) debacle with fans protesting outside the Emirates Stadium for a change of ownership.
Last week, however, Josh Kroenke, a club director and Stan Kroenke’s son, reaffirmed KSE’s commitment to Arsenal despite the firestorm of criticism from the fans. At a fans’ forum, he let it be understood that his family have “no intention” of selling the club, saying: “I still believe we’re fit to carry on in our positions as custodians of Arsenal.”
Kroenke added that he wants to build a relationship of trust between the ownership and the supporters, who have long felt alienated by KSE.
Ek is worth £3.4bn and on Friday the Swede tweeted that he was ‘happy to throw my hat in the ring’ to become a majority shareholder at the club he has supported since boyhood. The Spotify boss is understood to have shown speculative interest in other Premier League clubs in the past.
Stan Kroenke is believed to want at least £2 billion for Arsenal, which would compel Ek to launch a takeover bid via a consortium. Spotify is estimated to be worth £58 billion.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1713515093labto1713515093ofdlr1713515093owedi1713515093sni@o1713515093fni1713515093