SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek claims he HAS secured the funds to take over Arsenal from unpopular American owners the Kroenke family.
But the Swede is said to only value the club at £1.8bn while a bid of £2.5bn would be the minimum needed to get Stan Kroenke talking.
And other reports suggest the protest at the Emirates have actually made the Kroenke family more determined to stay at the helm.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are gearing up to face Newcastle on Sunday.
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Stay up to date with every twist and turn from North London in our live blog…
HERO
John Lennon once caused outrage by saying The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. And George was a rock ’n’ roll footballer with his long hair, his swagger and his anti-establishment attitude.
In the weeks, months and years after the 1971 FA Cup Final, kids from North London to Newcastle copied the celebration.
For young fans, it was the football equivalent of David Bowie’s seminal appearance on Top Of The Pops a year later — and George became a 1970s icon.
The man himself enjoys the pop-idol description. Now 70, George said: “Why not? I think it’s great. As a youngster, I loved all the Tamla Motown but the Rolling Stones were my favourites.
“And I scored the winning goal with my long hair. I didn’t know I was going to do it — it wasn’t planned. I just thought it was a great thing at the time.
What are you going to do? You’ve got to celebrate. Be different! I like to think I was different.”
DEMAND MAR
Pablo Mari has called for Arsenal to get right in the faces of Villarreal in next week’s second leg.
He told club media: “I think it’s not a really bad result thinking about that we’re 2-0 down with one player less, I think a really good reaction from the team.
“But for me I think for me we don’t have to wait to go into that situation to react. I think we have to learn about that and we have to put all the effort starting from minute zero next week to go to the final.
“I don’t know [why we made a sluggish start]. At the end you’re on the pitch and I try to help everybody, but we did some mistakes and I think this is key because they like to play football and they know when you do a mistake to go on that side and take the goals. So at the end we have to learn from that.
“We have to go full gas from minute zero and go with everything to win the game.”
DIRTY PLAYER
Bukayo Saka has upset neighbours by leaving piles of earth outside his home.
The 19-year-old Arsenal and England star is having a football pitch with changing room installed at the £2.3million mansion he bought only last year.
He called in bulldozers to level off the back garden — but they left what residents call a mountain of mud.
One of his neighbours near Hatfield, Herts, said: “The building work is causing a real eyesore.
“It’s a horrendous sight and a lot of the neighbours aren’t at all happy.
“The area has a lot of very well-to-do people who don’t expect this sort of thing.”
But another said; “If he keeps scoring for Arsenal, I’m not bothered.”
CHANGE OF TOON
Here’s how Arsenal could line up against Newcastle on Sunday.
OUT OF LUC
Lucas Torreira has made no secret of his desire to return to South America to play for his boyhood club Boca Juniors.
Speaking to ESPN Argentina earlier this month after the death of his mother, he said: “It’s not a violent emotion, a crazy decision because of my mother. I have always said that I want to play for Boca.
“I’m dying to play for Boca and I will always say it. The night my mother died, one of the first to hear the news was my agent.
“I don’t want to play in Europe anymore, I want to play for Boca.
“I want to be close to my home, my family. I have a contract at Arsenal and I am on loan at Atletico but I want to go to Boca. I hope the clubs can agree.
“It’s been two years since I was enjoying myself personally, I haven’t had continuity. Arsenal hurt me and at Atletico, I don’t play like I want.”
ART ATTACK
Mikel Arteta believes next summer will be among the most important in Arsenal’s history.
He told Sky Sports: “Because a lot of things have happened in the last few transfer windows. There are a lot of players in various situations.
“It’s crucial. We want to go to the next level and there are a lot of things we need to do to get there.”
ART TO ART
Mikel Arteta is all in on guiding Arsenal into the Europa League final.
He told Sky Sports: “I’m really focused on what we have to do now: finish the season as strongly as possible and try to get into that final, which is going to be key for us.
“Where we want to get to will depend on a lot of things; how we end the season, where we end up, what ability and prospects we’ll have for next season.
“Everything is a reflection of what happens now.”
Credit: Reuters HEAVY TOLL
Arsenal are among the clubs interested by the news that Bayern Munich are open to selling Corentin Tolisso.
According to Kicker, the German giants will consider bids ahead of his contract expiring in 2022.
The Gunners are set to rival Manchester United, Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid
DON’T SAK IT IN
Arsenal trail Villarreal 2-1 in the Europa League semi-final but Bukayo Saka is still holding out hope for the return leg.
Saka said: “There are a lot of positives which all came in the second half.
“But it is the semi-final of the Europa League and to start the game like that makes it impossible to have a chance of scoring.
“We didn’t create anything, we lost every duel, we were passive.
“It’s really frustrating to look back on, but I’m happy we picked ourselves up in the second half and managed to score. We have given ourselves a chance at the Emirates.”
MAD WORLD
Lucas Torreira reportedly faces an uncertain future with Atletico Madrid unwilling to turn his loan spell into a permanent stay.
The Arsenal midfielder has failed to make an impression at the Wanda Metropolitano after joining the Spanish side on deadline day in October.
Despite making 19 LaLiga appearances for Diego Simeone’s men, the 25-year-old has started just three top-flight games.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico are not looking to keep the player at the club.
They state that the LaLiga leaders have no intention of signing Torreira on another loan deal or a permanent move.
It has been claimed that the Gunners are willing to accept a cut-price fee of £15million for the player – £11m less than what they paid for him from Sampdoria in 2018.
A stunning first season in North London saw Torreira appear in 50 matches, but his form tailed off last year where he had to settle for a bit-part role under Mikel Arteta.
Torreira has made no secret of his desire to return to South America to play for his boyhood club Boca Juniors.
Credit: AFP WORK OF ART
Mikel Arteta praised keeper Bernd Leno for ‘saving’ their season after a pair of superb stops inspired a fightback in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Villarreal.
As reported by the BBC, the Arsenal manager said: “We didn’t want to come here and lose but after the way the game developed, you have to take the result. If you have to lose it is probably the best result we could have.
“Two different halves. We started to be us, in the first half there were so many moments we weren’t.
“We started to chase and were not precise with the ball, didn’t have enough control. We didn’t have enough threat or desire to attack the box, in the second half it was completely different.
“Bernd Leno was very good, at 2-0, the chance with Gerard Moreno, he saved us.
“We had a big chance with Auba to draw the game. I am confident we have a chance to win.”
Credit: PA WHITE HOT BEN
Dortmund have joined the race for Brighton defender Ben White.
Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal remain interested in one of the Premier League’s most talented young central defenders.
Brighton will demand about £35million for White, having turned down three bids from Leeds last summer – with the final offer totalling £25m.
White spent a successful season on loan in the Championship with Leeds last term and has gone from strength to strength on the south coast this year.
Dortmund already have an eye for English talent having signed both Jude Bellingham from Birmingham and Jadon Sancho from Manchester City.
They also made a move for Ben Godfrey but instead, he left Norwich for Everton.
HOT ROD
Arsenal are reportedly increasing their efforts to land Real Betis star Guido Rodriguez this summer.
El Desmarque claim that the LaLiga side might be forced to cash in on the central midfielder who has a £70million release clause in his contract.
And the report adds that Arsenal are set to make every effort to sign Rodriguez at the end of the season.
NINTCHDBPICT000648401858Credit: Rex SAK FULL
Freddie Ljungberg recently heaped praise on Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka for standing out in the academy.
The Invincibles legend remarked: “I have been with them Saka and Smith Rowe since they were 15, I know most of their parents.
“They’re amazing players. I always thought they had it in them.
“They’re very different as individuals, but they’re clever boys, they listen and they have a good understanding of football. I always believed in them.
“When you do youth there’s so many players, but they were training very, very hard, not trying to cheat. They of course had talents that not many other players had.
“You see so many talents that don’t make it, [they need] that little extra drive.”
Credit: Getty MART SLAMS ART
Martin Keown has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s tactics during the defeat to Villarreal could have got him sacked.
He wrote in his column for the Mail: “Mikel Arteta’s tactics and decision-making on Thursday should have sent Arsenal crashing out of Europe and possibly ended his managerial career at the club.
“However, remarkably and thanks to that late penalty won by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal find themselves still very much in this tie against Villarreal.
“Arteta is being afforded the rare commodity of time and now he’s the beneficiary of an even rarer occurrence: a second chance. And this is one he really has to take.
“Arteta experimented with a false nine on Thursday, lining up without a recognised centre forward.
“Playing with that new formation for the first time in the biggest game of the season was a big ask of the players and a huge gamble. It didn’t pay off.”
DEMAND MAR
Pablo Mari has called for Arsenal to get right in the faces of Villarreal in next week’s second leg.
He told club media: “I think it’s not a really bad result thinking about that we’re 2-0 down with one player less, I think a really good reaction from the team.
“But for me I think for me we don’t have to wait to go into that situation to react. I think we have to learn about that and we have to put all the effort starting from minute zero next week to go to the final.
“I don’t know [why we made a sluggish start]. At the end you’re on the pitch and I try to help everybody, but we did some mistakes and I think this is key because they like to play football and they know when you do a mistake to go on that side and take the goals. So at the end we have to learn from that.
“We have to go full gas from minute zero and go with everything to win the game.”
SPOT OF BOTHER?
Here’s who could oust KSE from Arsenal and bring the fans onside in the wake of the Super League debacle.
MART SLAMS ART
Arsenal icon Martin Keown has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s tactics during the 2-1 defeat to Villarreal could have got him sacked.
The Gunners were facing Europa League heartbreak after they went 2-0 down inside 30 minutes in the first leg of their semi-final this week.
And club legend Keown admitted that Arsenal’s comeback after their manager’s line-up gamble backfired may have saved the Spaniard’s job.
He wrote in his column for the Mail: “Mikel Arteta’s tactics and decision-making on Thursday should have sent Arsenal crashing out of Europe and possibly ended his managerial career at the club.
“However, remarkably and thanks to that late penalty won by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal find themselves still very much in this tie against Villarreal.
“Arteta is being afforded the rare commodity of time and now he’s the beneficiary of an even rarer occurrence: a second chance. And this is one he really has to take.
“Arteta experimented with a false nine on Thursday, lining up without a recognised centre forward.
“Playing with that new formation for the first time in the biggest game of the season was a big ask of the players and a huge gamble. It didn’t pay off.”
SIGN EM UP
Mikel Arteta hinted Emile Smith Rowe has done enough to earn a bumper new contract at the Emirates.
The Croydon De Bruyne has broken into the first team this season and is currently contracted until 2023.
Arteta told Sky Sports: “We are going to have that discussion.
“I think Emile has earned the right to look at that situation because of the performances that he has produced.
“He’s very much engaged and wants to continue with us, that’s for sure.”
Credit: Getty FINE ART
Mikel Arteta called on Arsenal’s doubters to wait until he’s had a normal full season without a pandemic before judging his work in North London.
The Spanish boss told Sky Sports: “I will say there’s still a long long way to go to get to where we have to get. [The timeframe] will depend on what we do.
“We’ve shown in big moments against big teams that we can beat anybody but the reality is that we haven’t showed that consistency every three days.
“We’ve faced many challenges, some we didn’t expect, some of them completely unprecedented in the outside world and at this football club. To manage all that is pretty difficult. It’s created unsustainability and instability.
“People will judge what we do today but lots of elements are contributing. I haven’t had a normal season yet.
“Without a proper pre-season, we had some instability, and [we need] our fans back in the stadium… I cannot wait for that.”
PUSH AND PAUL
Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes the Gunners are stuck with Stan Kroenke regardless of how serious Spotify’s Daniel Ek is about taking over.
Merse told the Daily Star: “Is Daniel Ek serious about buying Arsenal? I’m always dubious of things like this. Who would put on Twitter that they want to buy a football club? I can’t imagine if you wanted to buy JP Morgan you’d do it on social media…
“But everyone’s heard of Spotify now, haven’t they? Call me a cynic but it’s great free advertising for them. If he buys Arsenal I’ll say fair play to him. But I find it very strange. If you really wanted to take over the club you wouldn’t do it like this.
“I can’t see any way in a million years that Stan Kroenke sells anyway. Arsenal makes him money.
“It’s not like he lives here and the fans can make his life a misery and hound him out. He never goes to the games.
“He’s under no pressure to sell and I don’t see why he would. He’s not fussed about the fans. If he was, he wouldn’t have signed up for the Super League.
“I would say Arsenal are stuck with him. Will all this heat convince him to spend some money on players? Let’s see. But I doubt it.”
Credit: PA
ARTWORK
Mikel Arteta has pleaded for the Arsenal fans to get behind his team despite a shocking Premier League season.
The Gunners are tenth in the league and are relying on the Europa League to salvage something from their campaign.
They lost 2-1 to Villarreal in the semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Arteta told Sky Sports: “We really need them; to be with the team, to believe in the team, to support them. With them closer, we are much stronger.
“That’s what we ask them and we promise them we’ll give everything we can to fulfil their expectations, to give them some joy and some special moments.”
Credit: Getty MAD WORLD
Lucas Torreira reportedly faces an uncertain future with Atletico Madrid unwilling to turn his loan spell into a permanent stay.
The Arsenal midfielder has failed to make an impression at the Wanda Metropolitano after joining the Spanish side on deadline day in October.
Despite making 19 LaLiga appearances for Diego Simeone’s men, the 25-year-old has started just three top-flight games.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico are not looking to keep the player at the club.
They state that the LaLiga leaders have no intention of signing Torreira on another loan deal or a permanent move.
It has been claimed that the Gunners are willing to accept a cut-price fee of £15million for the player – £11m less than what they paid for him from Sampdoria in 2018.
A stunning first season in North London saw Torreira appear in 50 matches, but his form tailed off last year where he had to settle for a bit-part role under Mikel Arteta.
Torreira has made no secret of his desire to return to South America to play for his boyhood club Boca Juniors.
CHANGE OF TOON
Here’s how Arsenal could line up against Newcastle on Sunday.
SPOT ON
Here’s how the Arsenal takeover by Spotify giant Daniel Ek could look.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
