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Kieran Maguire issues '£3bn' Arsenal takeover claim after news from Spain
It would cost a prospective investor £3billion to complete an Arsenal takeover – but that will not come from Spotify’s Daniel Ek.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Swedish billionaire’s flirtation with the Gunners.
Ek launched a public campaign to buy Arsenal in 2021 but was repeatedly and unequivocally knocked by the Kroenke family.
Barcelona announced a stadium naming rights and shirt sponsorship deal with Ek’s music streaming platform Spotify on Tuesday (15 March).
The controversial deal is subject to ratification at Barca’s extraordinary assembly on 3 April, as revealed by the Catalan club yesterday (17 March).
And Maguire argues that the deal leaves any lingering hopes of an Arsenal takeover “dead in the water.”
“Ek was rebuffed pretty forcefully by Stan Kroenke,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“Arsenal would have been a very high upfront investment. Given that the price being touted for Chelsea is £3bn, why wouldn’t Arsenal be broadly similar?
“This is a cheaper alternative and, from a cash flow perspective, an easier issue to deal with for Spotify and Ek.
“This deal is dead in the water and they are clearly putting all their eggs in the Barcelona basket.”
Ek enlisted Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp and Patrick Viera to aid his PR drive during the takeover campaign in 2021.
His two bids for the club fell on deaf ears and Stan Kroenke reiterated his commitment to the club thereafter.
In other news, Kevin Campbell issues two-word verdict on Arsenal star Kieran Tierney potentially joining Real Madrid.