Arsene Wenger open to offering former stars advice in £1.8bn takeover bid of Arsenal with Daniel Ek

‘If I can help Arsenal I will do it’: Arsene Wenger open to offering former stars Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira advice in £1.8bn takeover bid of club with Daniel Ek… but insists ‘best deals are made when nobody knows about them’

  • Spotify founder Daniel Ek revealed his desire to buy Arsenal off Stan Kroenke 
  • Ek has hired Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira to help his bid 
  • Arsene Wenger, who managed the trio, admitted he will help Arsenal if he can 
  • The Frenchman admitted he likes the idea of ex-players running the club
  • Kroenke reaffirmed his desire to keep hold of Arsenal despite Ek’s interest 

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he would ‘help’ Arsenal in any way possible and suggested he is in favour of his former stars being involved in a potential takeover bid.

Invincibles Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are backing a £1.8billion bid from Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek, who is poised to table the offer to current owner Stan Kroenke.

The loathed American owner issued a statement earlier on Tuesday insisting he will not be entertaining any offer to sell the club amid interest from Ek, who is the co-owner of the music streaming service Spotify.

Arsene Wenger claimed he will help Arsenal if he can when discussing Daniel Ek’s takeover bid

Spotify owner Ek, worth around £3.4billion, publicly revealed his desire to buy the Gunners

Spotify owner Ek, worth around £3.4billion, publicly revealed his desire to buy the Gunners

But speaking to beIN Sports, 71-year-old Frenchman Wenger –  currently FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development after leaving the Gunners in 2018 following 22 years at the helm – said he would help however he could but believed deals such as these are best done away from the public eye.

‘I like the fact that former people of the club run the club,’ Wenger said. ‘You have two examples in the football world, former players who run a club like at Bayern or big investors who buy a club like Man City.

‘I personally, as a football man, like the fact that former Arsenal players take over and have an advice. For the project, the best deals are made when nobody knows about it and you come out and it is done.

Current Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has reaffirmed his stance on not selling the football club

Current Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has reaffirmed his stance on not selling the football club

Ek has hired Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira (left to right) to help his bid

Ek has hired Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira (left to right) to help his bid

‘Once you announce things, you have a mountain to climb. Nobody wants to give in. It is better you do your deal and when it is done, you come out and then take people you want.

‘I will always support Arsenal, and if I can help Arsenal I will do it as well in any way. After that, I am happy with my life as it is today.’ 

Wenger’s first eight seasons in charge of the Gunners saw him win two league and cup doubles – but a nine-year trophy drought between 2005 and 2014 plus the Gunners’ slump out of the top-four meant fans called for him to quit in the final years of his north London reign.

Arsenal fans protested against Kroenke's running of the club after the Super League saga

Arsenal fans protested against Kroenke’s running of the club after the Super League saga

Wenger (above) retired as Arsenal manager in 2018 after 22 years in charge of the Gunners

Wenger (above) retired as Arsenal manager in 2018 after 22 years in charge of the Gunners

The Frenchman oversaw the move from Arsenal’s Highbury ground to the Emirates Stadium and qualified for the top-four for 20 consecutive seasons despite the Gunners’ financial woes – and Wenger has defended his managing of the club in his latter years. 

He added: ‘I always put Arsenal first. I sacrificed the best years of my life in my career to help this club, to get out of building a new stadium and paying it back without any money from anybody.

‘We didn’t go out and say “we need money”, we did it with the quality of our work and we maintained the club at the top. I was also criticised, which you have to accept when you are in a public job.

‘But nobody would question the fact that I did it genuinely and with a desire to what is good for the club. After, of course I made mistakes, I don’t deny that.’