17 May

SPOTIFY co-founder Daniel Ek said Saturday a formal offer to buy Arsenal had been rejected by the Premier League club’s American owners. In a statement on Twitter, the Swedish tycoon said the club’s owners, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE), had rebuffed his bid.

“This week an offer was made to (KSE co-owner) Josh Kroenke and their bankers that included fan ownership, representation at the board and a golden share for the supporters,” Ek said.

“They replied that they don’t need the money. I remain interested should that situation ever change.” Lifelong Arsenal fan Ek first expressed an inter est in mounting a bid for the club last month in the wake of the aborted European Super League plan.

Arsenal were one of six Premier League teams that signed up for the breakaway league, which collapsed barely 48 hours later after a massive backlash across the football world.

Arsenal fans staged an angry protest outside the Emirates Stadium demanding a change of ownership of the club.

US billionaire Stan Kroenke, through KSE, has been the Gunners’ majority shareholder for a decade and took full control of the club by buying out Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s stake in 2018. — AFP