Spotify founder and Arsenal fan Daniel Ek is preparing a bid to buy the club from Stan Kroenke, who has faced protests about his ownership in the wake of last week’s failed Super League plan.
According to The Guardian, Ek started exploring the possibility over the weekend and has successfully enlisted the help of Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
American billionaire Stan Kroenke, the chairman and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is the club’s current owner.
Already unpopular with fans following the Gunners’ recent stagnation, the 73-year-old has faced a major backlash since their involvement in the proposed Super League came to light.
The vast majority of English supporters were outraged at the revelation that six of the country’s biggest clubs intended to join other major European sides in forming a breakaway competition.
Arsenal were one of those six, alongside Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
As a result, thousands of Arsenal fans staged a protest outside the Emirates on Friday, ahead of the club’s game against Everton, calling for Kroenke to step aside.
Ek announced his interest via Twitter that same day, writing: “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 into the ring.”
Kroenke has controlling stakes in several sports clubs, including the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Rapids.
His son Josh, one of Arsenal’s directors, told a fans’ forum that the Kroenke family have no intention of walking away.
They are believed to want in excess of £2billion in order to sell the club, which they took over in 2011.
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