Spotify CEO Daniel Ek set to launch bid to buy Arsenal
Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek is reportedly preparing a bid to buy Arsenal, along with assistance from club OGs Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
Ek began making inquiries about a potential purchase of the North London club over the weekend, according to The Guardian, and an announcement about an official approach could be put out next week.
Former players Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira are helping Ek assemble a package for the Kroenke family, who are facing increased pressure to sell after Arsenal’s attempt to join the failed Super League last week.
The Swedish billionaire tweeted on Friday: “As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I’d be happy to throw my hat in the ring.”
As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring.
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) April 23, 2021
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owner Stan Kroenke is thought to want at least £2bn if he is to consider selling the club.
Ek’s fortune is estimated at around £3.4bn, and industry experts predict that he would likely be able to amass an amount that would tempt Kroenke into selling.
The news has provoked mixed reactions on social media, with many Arsenal fans excited at the prospect of more money for transfers. At the same time, music industry figures expressed dismay at the prospect of such a large sum changing hands while musicians are receiving low payouts by the service (an estimated £0.0031 per stream).
One of these was Tim Burgess, who tweeted: ‘Could we ask that you get things sorted out with musicians before jumping in with footballers??’
The streaming giant recently announced it would be increasing its prices by £2 a month for Spotify Family subscribers.
In other streaming news, a recent study revealed that music recommendation algorithms could be reinforcing the industry’s gender biases.
