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Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek (L) and Stan Kroenke.
Spotify CEO and founder, Daniel Ek on Wednesday April 28, disclosed that he has secured funds to buy Arsenal football club from owner Stan Kroenke.
The Swedish billionaire is determined to launch a bid so that the American billionaire can sell the Premier League club despite the Arsenal owner’s insistence that he has no intention of selling.
Kroenke and his son and director Josh put out a joint statement on Tuesday saying that they remain “100per cent committed to Arsenal” and were not interested in selling a stake in the club after furious backlash from the fans after the club’s failed attempt to form a breakaway Super League with 11 other top European sides.
The statement said: ‘As I started out saying I’ve been a fan for 30 years of this club and I certainly didn’t expect this would happen overnight and I’m prepared that this could be a long journey.
‘All I can do is prepare what I think is a very thoughtful offer, bring it to them and hope they hear me out.
‘I just focus on the club, the fans and I focus on trying to bring the club back to glory and I’m first and foremost a fan. That’s the most important thing for me and I want the club to do better. That’s my primary interest.’
Speaking about his interest in his boyhood club, Swedish billionaire Ek told CNBC: ‘I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was 8 years old. Arsenal is my team. I live the history, the players, and of course I love the fans.
‘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 and engage the fans again. So, 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.’
Ek, who is worth around £3.4bn, is ready to make an offer of £1.8bn for the north Londoners. He has also enlisted Arsenal legends, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, and Patrick Vieira to help his bid.
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