Daniel Ek, co-founder and chief executive of music streaming service Spotify, has declared his interest in buying Arsenal; fans have called on current owner Stan Kroenke to sell up in the wake of the failed European Super League breakaway
A takeover of Arsenal by Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek will be ‘difficult’ but is ‘not impossible’, according to Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol.
The Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek is set to launch a takeover bid for Arsenal with the help of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
Ek, co-founder and chief executive of music streaming service Spotify, has enlisted three of Arsenal’s legendary ‘Invincibles’ to help him purchase the club from current owner Stan Kroenke.
Ek first expressed an interest in buying Arsenal last week, after fans protested outside the Emirates Stadium against Kroenke’s ownership and his involvement in the failed breakaway European Super League.
Ek has intimated he would be open to having fan representation on the Arsenal board if he succeeds in buying the club.
“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.
Ek is understood to be totally serious about the deal and has the funds to make it happen. According to Forbes, he is worth £3.38bn (€4.7bn), and was named the most influential person in the music business by American magazine Billboard in 2017.
Close friends have described Ek as an Arsenal obsessive who watches every game. He has even been known to watch live Arsenal games during Spotify board meetings. He has been to many games at the Emirates Stadium and at Highbury.
A key figure in any proposed takeover will be Arsenal non-executive director Tim Lewis who is close to owner Stan Kroenke.
At this stage, it is not known how much the 38-year-old is willing to bid for Arsenal.
However, Arsenal director Josh Kroenke has told fans that his family has “no intention” of selling the club.
Speaking last week at a fans’ forum following the collapse of the European Super League venture, Kroenke said the club was not for sale but that they would work harder to engage with fans more effectively in the future.
-Sky Sports News
