After Arsenal’s largest shareholder, Stan Kroenke, took a controlling stake in the St. Louis Rams it looks increasingly like that the status quo in terms of ownership will continue at the Emirates. Four large shareholders are likely to continue sitting on their positions, an outcome that would be acceptable to most Arsenal fans, avoiding off pitch distractions.
After Arsenal’s largest shareholder, Stan Kroenke, took a controlling stake in the St. Louis Rams it looks increasingly like that the status quo in terms of ownership will continue at the Emirates. Four large shareholders are likely to continue sitting on their positions, an outcome that would be acceptable to most Arsenal fans, avoiding off pitch distractions.
Kroenke is ten shares short of the threshold which would oblige him to make an offer to Arsenal’s other shareholders. The only potential for disruption would be if Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith was able to sell her shareholding which she has been trying to do. However, there appears to be a shortage of prospective buyers or at least at an acceptable price.
Kroenke now has a controlling stake in five different sports teams in the States in American football, soccer (Colorado Rapids), basketball, ice hockey and even lacrosse (the Colorado Mammoth). Worth £1.9bn, he could probably afford the £610m required to buy Arsenal. However, he is unlikely to want to take on two big financal commitments at once. This is particularly the case given the need to turn round the performance of the Rams. The former Super Bowl champions have performed dismally over the last three seasons.
Kroenke is reported to have spent about £486m on acquiring the rest of the NFL Rams franchise. The NFL owners approved the takedover on condition that he hands over financial and operational control of his NBA and NHL franchises to his son.