Arsenal prepped for stunning Spotify billionaire takeover bid

While Arsenal fans are divided on many points, they are united in their total disapproval of their current ownership, KSE. A fractured relationship that spans more than a decade, supporters want a change at the very top, and they might just get it in the form of Spotify owner Daniel Ek.

Thousands of furious fans gathered outside the Emirates Stadium on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Everton, making their voices heard as flares, chants and banners all sent the same message: #KroenkeOut.

Such sentiments were echoed elsewhere in the country as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans all united to oppose their respective ownership, feelings sparked into breaking point after the failed attempt of the Premier League ‘big six’ to breakaway and form the ill-fated Super League.

Tensions were already high among the north London fanbase, who have vehemently called for Stan Kroenke to sell his shares in the club after years of neglect, passivity and misunderstanding. The owners have never cared for more than their own pockets and disgraceful acts of the past week cemented that notion.

Arsenal prepped for stunning Spotify billionaire takeover bid from Daniel Ek to force Stan Kroenke to sell

There remains an air of uncertainty over whether the desires of an incensed fanbase will get what they’re after. Josh Kroenke reiterated during a recent fans’ forum that KSE have no intention of selling, and are planning for a summer of investment. So, then, on that same Friday evening, a tweet put out by Spotify owner and billionaire Daniel Ek revealing his desire to purchase the club caused widespread fanfare. Was it an elaborate PR stunt, or genuine interest?

As per The Telegraph, it’s serious.

Ek is ready to enter negotiations and make an offer for the club, one that despite the owners’ insistence is not for sale, is said to be available for purchase for around £2bn. Ek is estimated to be worth £3.4bn which entails that any takeover bid may have to be as part of a consortium or with a partner, but he is serious in his stance.

The Arsenal fans have been backed up by club legends Ian Wright and Thierry Henry in the wake of the Super League debacle, with both players showing their support to the #KroenkeOut movement.

These are owners who are used to being hated. Their franchises in America have left precious few devotees, and regular strong stances of being in this for the long haul convincingly hint that the Kroenke family will not sell up.

However, they have not been tested by actual money. Purchasing Arsenal is, of course, unbelievably expensive, and since Stan Kroenke took full ownership there has not been as much as a whisper of another bid other than from Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, who talks the talk but is yet to walk the walk.

There is hope. The Super League was an effort to Americanise English football and it failed miserably. This was a plan long in the making and with their goals not only falling flat but also sparking widespread disgust and rage, there is little reason for KSE to stick around. Add to that the club declining drastically over the last decade and staring down the barrel of a season without any European football and significant financial losses, they may once and for all cut ties.

Watch this space.