Fourth ‘Invincible’ questions trio’s involvement in Arsenal takeover bid
Jens Lehmann has questioned the involvement of three high-profile Arsenal old boys in the potential takeover of the club by Spotify chief Daniel Ek.
Lehmann, who made 200 appearances for Arsenal, is not sure the roles of fellow ‘Invincibles’ Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp in any such move. The former goalkeeper is also unsure just how willing Kroenke Sports and Entertainment are to sell. On Monday the Daily Telegraph, reported that Ek has teamed up with Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira to wrestle control from KSE.
Last week Ek, an Arsenal fan, signalled his interest in buying the Gunners. In a message posted on Twitter, Ek said: “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.”
However, all the signs are from KSE that they are steadfast in their vision for the club.
In fact Josh Kroenke ruled out a sale an online Q&A session.
Josh Kroenke said: “We will rebuild. We believe we are fit to go forward with Arsenal football club.
“We were put in a difficult situation by sources outside the club.
“I want to get back to London, I want to do this. I am aware we never had trust, we need to build a bridge, we will.
“We have big plans to invest, we have plans, we want to be great again. But a long-term model does not support long-term high investment. We have no intention of selling.”
And Lehmann, who is now a board member at Hertha Berlin said: “It would be fantastic to have my former team-mates working for Arsenal again, because they are all great guys.
“But I don’t know if the Kroenke family actually wants to sell Arsenal. That’s the first question I have.
“And from my encounters with Josh Kroenke, for example, he’s a very nice guy. He was very interested to lead Arsenal into a brighter future.
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‘There needs to be a good structure’
“If a new owner, just in case he comes in, is confronted with the same challenges then he might have to ask the same questions.
“My experiences in football, as I am on the board at Hertha Berlin, (tell me) that people, first of all, need to know the right questions.
“They then need to implement the structure that all of the guys like Dennis, Patrick and Thierry can work in.
“These guys are all coaches, so would we end up seeing them on the (side of the) pitch all together or what? I don’t really understand their jobs.
“There needs to be a good structure from the top to the bottom,” the 51-year-old told Sky Sports.
Various other sources, including Sky Sports and The Guardian claimed Ek is serious about a bid for Arsenal with the three Gunners legends fronting the bid process.
Forbes value Arsenal at around £2bn.
The Telegraph reported Ek “is set to make a formal offer to buy the club from Kroenke”.
The Swedish entrepreneur is worth £3.4bn, according to Forbes, while his Spotify music streaming service valued at £51.9bn.
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