Daniel Ek wants to bring Arsenal back to its former glories and claims he has secured the funds to make Stan Kroenke a ‘compelling offer’ for the club.
Ek, while speaking to CNBC, added that he was ‘very serious’ about taking over at the club and that he wasn’t put off by Tuesday’s statement from current owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) that they had no intention of selling.
The Swedish billionaire is being supported by Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in his bid to take over at Emirates Stadium.
What has been said?
When asked whether he believed he could buy Arsenal, the 38-year-old insisted he was serious and revealed the finances were in place to make an imminent offer.
“I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was eight,” said Ek. “Arsenal is my team. I love the history, I love the players and of course I love the fans.
Next Match
“So as I look at that, I just see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club to bring it back to its glory.
“I want to establish trust with the fans. I want to engage the fans again.
“I’m very serious. I have 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.”
What about the Kroenkes?
Current owners KSE stated on Tuesday that they had no intention of selling and committed to helping the club get back to competing for major honours under Mikel Arteta.
In response, Ek said he was aware that his plans for Arsenal could take a while to materialise.
“I’ve been a fan for 30 years,” he said. “I certainly didn’t expect that this would happen overnight. I’m prepared this could be a long journey.
“All I can do is prepare what I think is a very thoughtful offer and bring it to them [the Kroenkes] and I hope they hear me out.
“I just focus on the club, I focus on the fans and I focus on trying to bring the club back to glory.
“I’m first and foremost a fan. That’s the most important thing for me and I want the club to do better, that is my primary interest.”
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)