
Speaking to Arsenal’s official website ahead of Thursday’s game against Villarreal, Mikel Arteta gave his opinion on Daniel Ek’s proposed Arsenal takeover bid.
After mentioning his interest in trying to gain ownership of the North London club, the Swedish billionaire has been bolstered by support from three former players. With the help of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira, the Spotify CEO is preparing an offer for current owner Stan Kroenke.
This was one of the topics addressed in the press conference held by the boss, ahead of the Europa League semi-final first leg. When asked about what he thought of the proposed takeover bid, this is what Arteta had to say:
“Well a lot of talk and a lot of speculation has surrounded the situation in the last week or so, our fans raised their voices during the game against Everton, but now we have a very clear and committed statement from the ownership and I think that is gone when they say what they said last night and show the commitment and desire to take the team where we all want. I think it is very clear where we are moving forward”
The Spaniard further went on to talk about his thoughts on the current regime. Going on to say that they were the right people to lead the team back to the top. Arteta added:
“I said from the beginning what my perception was, everything that I sense, all the communications that I have with them,” he said. They are fully excited and committed to this project and they really want to push everybody to do what we want to do.”
Despite the speculation that is taking place off the pitch, it would help both the manager and the players to be focused on the task ahead. The first leg has the potential to decide if the Gunners make it to the final or not. The boss will want the team to put in a good performance to gain an edge over Villarreal.
Arsenal could be set for change at the top but whether that happens or not, remains to be seen. As for Arteta, his thoughts will be on how to get the best out of the squad against a tough side like the Yellow Submarines. If the North Londoners can return from Spain with a positive result, it will definitely improve the mood of the fans.
