Arsenal supporters have long had gripes with its ownership group, frequently grumbling about the perceived lack of investment — both in terms of effort and money — of the American-based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The group owns a number of professional sports teams in the United States, but none of them are as tradition-rich as their London-based Premier League side.
This frustration reached a new level during the Super League debacle in recent weeks, with fans being more vocal than ever in their cries of “Kroenke out.” As a result, Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, has made clear that he wants to purchase the club away from the Kroenkes, and on Wednesday, he appeared on CNBC and claimed that he is ready to make a bid.
Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek says he has ‘secured the funds’ to takeover Arsenal and will now present a ‘very compelling offer’ to owners Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke to buy the club. pic.twitter.com/JLWskeOHU1
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 28, 2021
“I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was 8 years old,” Ek said. “Arsenal is my team, I love the history, I love the players, and of course, I love the fans. So, as I look at that, I see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club, to bring it back to its glory. And I want to establish trust with fans, I want to engage the fans again.
“So, to answer your question, I’m very serious,” Ek continued. “I’ve secured the funds for it, and I want to bring what I think is a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.”
Ek is going to run into one pretty gigantic problem here, even if he has support from fans and other players and whomever else: The Kroenkes have apparently made clear that they don’t want to sell. But perhaps Ek — along with whatever partners he has — can come to the table and make something lucrative enough that Arsenal could come under new ownership.