Yahoo Finance Daniel Ek reveals £1.8bn offer to buy Arsenal rejected by the Kroenkes
The billionaire founder of Spotify has insisted that he has tabled an official takeover bid for Arsenal, just hours after the club had denied receiving any formal offer.
Daniel Ek, backed by Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira, claims that a bid, believed to be in the region of £1.8billion, was rejected this week.
Arsenal had on Saturday said that they had not received a bid from Ek, which prompted the Swede to go public on Twitter on Saturday night and put Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke in an awkward position.
In a message posted on Twitter, Ek said: “Inaccurate reports emerged today saying I have not made a bid for Arsenal Football Club. I think it’s important to correct the record - this week an offer was made to both Josh Kroenke and their bankers that included fan ownership, representation at the board and the golden share for the supporters.
"They replied that they don’t need the money. I respect their decision, but remain interested and available should that situation ever change.”
Earlier in the day, an Arsenal spokesperson had been quoted as saying: “Nothing has been received by KSE (Kroenke Sports’ Entertainment]. Their position remains unchanged.”
Following reports today I want to correct the record with attached statement pic.twitter.com/CzfF0Y76K4
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) May 15, 2021
With Kroenke already facing protests from fans wanting him out, Arsenal may now be forced to explain their side of the situation at a time when supporters are demanding transparency from their clubs.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport, one independent source said: “What else are they hiding if the club said there had not been a bid when there was? This just raises more questions.”
Ek first revealed his interest in buying Arsenal on Twitter, before Telegraph Sport exclusively revealed that three of the club’s Invincibles, Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira, were supporting his takeover attempt.
Ek and the three Invincibles have already met with the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust to discuss their commitment to involve fans in major decisions and adopt the golden share policy that would allow supporters the right of veto on any legacy calls.
In an interview with CNBC, Ek explained his desire to buy Arsenal, saying: “I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was eight years old. Arsenal is my team, I love the history, I love the players and, of course, I love the fans.
“So, as I look at that, I 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 fans, I want to engage the fans again.”
