Daniel Ek to make 'first Arsenal takeover bid this week' as Thierry Henry outlines vision

Daniel Ek is expected to launch an official bid to Stan Kroenke this week as he aims to become the new Arsenal owner

Posted Tuesday, May 04, 2021 by Express.co.uk

Daniel Ek is expected to make a formal offer to buy Arsenal this week and will aim to restore the club’s DNA, Thierry Henry has revealed.

The Spotify founder has spoken of his interest in the club in recent days and is now prepared to take this to the next stage by submitting a bid to owner Stan Kroenke by the end of this week, The Telegraph has revealed.

Kroenke has responded to reports of Ek’s desire of becoming the new owner of the Gunners, insisting that he has no intention to sell the club.

Despite Kroenke appearing reluctant to give up his position at the club, the Arsenal Invincebles trio of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Henry are all expected to support Ek’s takeover proposal.

Some supporters have raised questions as to whether or not Ek’s intentions will be similar to that of the current ownership, though Henry has backed the Swedish billionaire as a suitable option.

Arsenal takeover: Daniel Ek is ready to make a bid

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football programme, Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer said: “I know a lot of people wanted to hear about it, it is true Daniel is an Arsenal fan. He didn’t say that for any publicity. He is an Arsenal fan for a very long time.

"He approached us. We listened to him. When we knew, first and foremost, that he wanted to involve the fans then we met the Arsenal Supporters Trust. We told them what we wanted to do. To bring them back on board. Make them part of the meetings and knowing what’s happening. You need to put the DNA back into the club.

“He wants to buy the club, he reached out, and there is going to be a bid. If I wasn't part of the bid, I would have backed it up from afar. Because I want the club to be run a bit better and the fans to be involved. It is not so much only about what's happening on the field, it is what's happening off the field. And the fans are not happy about it.”

Arsenal’s involvement in the proposed European Super League was viewed as one step too far by many supporters of the club, who expressed their disappointment and anger at the extremely controversial breakaway project.

‘Kroenke Out’ protests took place at the Emirates in the days that followed the Super League debacle, with many convinced that a change at the highest level of the club must take place.

For Henry, Ek would help to restore the club’s ‘DNA’ which he believes was lost long before recent events.

"He wants to inject the Arsenal DNA back into the club, which for me, is long gone,” said the Frenchman.

“You don’t have Arsenal people there amongst the board, which might show the right direction. But that’s what Daniel wants to do. He has already reached out. He already said he has collected the funds to put a good bid. Now, they need to listen – he wants to make sure the team is what it used to be."