Arsenal could be the subject of a legitimate takeover offer from Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek.
The north London club is facing a revolt from fans over their part in the foundation of the collapsed European Super League.
Arsenal offered the most contrition of any Premier League club involved in their official statement, while director Josh Kroenke issued his own grovelling apology during a fans’ forum later in the week.
READ MORE: Exposed Kroenke is now vulnerable to Arsenal fans
The 40-year-old son of club owner Stan claimed “we were put in a very difficult position by forces outside of the club,” while adding that they had “no intention of selling” and wished to “carry on in our position as custodians” despite subsequent fan protests.
Spotify founder Ek had fuelled speculation that he might make an offer to buy the club at the height of the fan backlash.
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
The Daily Telegraph report that the message was ‘serious’ and Ek now plans to ‘test Stan Kroenke’s resolve’ in due course.
Matt Law, Tom Morgan and Sam Dean report that ‘the message was not a public relations stunt and that Ek’s interest in Arsenal is genuine, with the Swedish billionaire ready to enter into negotiations and, ultimately, make Kroenke an offer’.
It is said that while the Kroenke family are publicly not interested in selling, an offer of £2billion could prove too tempting in the same way that the Glazers see £4bn as a fair price for Manchester United.
Any takeover attempt from Ek ‘may have to be as part of a consortium or with a partner,’ and in any event might not be enough to persuade the current Arsenal owners to sell.
“We have the same plans for summer that we had several weeks ago and I am still excited about those,” Kroenke told supporters at the aforementioned meeting this week.
“So I might be met with mistrust, I might be met with scepticism, but over time I hope to establish some sort of relationship with our supporter groups and show them that we are capable of taking our club forward.”
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