The prospect of a takeover from Stan Kroenke is back on the discussion table after yet another own goal by the American businessman which included a proposed European Super League.
I’m not sure this latest bid to prize Kroenke from the club will be any more successful, but at least it’s rumoured to include three former club legends in Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Patrick Vieira. This highly regarded trio of Arsenal figures would be welcomed back with open arms to rescue the club from years of underachievement and mediocrity.
The details are quite foggy apart from Ek announcing his interest in “throwing his hat” into the mix but the good news is that at least this red and white form of Quadruplets are all Arsenal fans and it would be easy to access, unlike the current owner.
The Kroenke’s made a few glib promises after the European Super League debacle, but not enough to prevent supporters wanting them to depart at the earliest opportunity. It’s now a matter of time before we find out if the owner will stubbornly hold on to the jewel in his sporting crown or sell up before things get even worse if that’s possible.
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Ek said recently:
“As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I’d be happy to throw my hat in the ring,” Ek tweeted on Friday.”
As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring.
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) April 23, 2021
If you’re wondering he is good for the cash, the co-founder and chief executive of music streaming service Spotify is said to be worth £3.38bn (€4.7bn) and according to Forbes, he was named the most influential person in the music business by American magazine Billboard back in 2017.
But what’s the likelihood that this takeover bid is genuine or that Stan Kroenke will admit defeat and sell up in the face of fan pressure? Who knows but it may get to the point where there’s no point hanging on to a club that is immersed in a war between the owner and its fans.
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Aliko Dangote was another wealthy businessman who declared his interest, but that appears to be a yearly announcement without any substance. It’s clear Arsenal are at a crossroads which was identified by their record goalscorer Thierry Henry when he told the Telegraph:
“I do not recognise my club and what happened just now, with them trying to join a league that would have been closed, makes no sense to me,”
He added:
“They have been running the club like a company, not a football club, and they showed their hand.”
Kroenke automatically informed anyone who would listen that the club was not for sale. Well, he was the one that sold it out in discussions regarding the ESL, so hopefully, he’ll try again but this time to a legitimate buyer.
