Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has backed Daniel Ek to try again with a takeover bid after previously failing to buy the club from the Kroenke family.
Stan and Josh Kroenke have proven hugely unpopular in their time at the Emirates Stadium, and this has recently led to Ek very publicly pursuing a purchase of Arsenal.
Vieira is one of three Gunners legends to get involved in the bid alongside Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and it seems he’s still confident that this saga is not over just yet.
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Speaking on the ITV Football Show podcast, the Frenchman said: “He’s definitely going to try again.
“He is going to be there for quite a long time. He’s a massive Arsenal fan. And talking to him a couple of times his desire and his commitment to Arsenal football club will be fantastic.
“Obviously, if the club is not for sale there is nothing that he can do but he’s going to be there and he’s going to wait and he wants to buy the club.
“I think it will be really important because Arsenal is in a critical moment. For me, it is the right time for him to do his maximum or to do what is possible to buy the club, to convince the country to buy the club.”
He added: “In the last couple of years I believe that the club didn’t take the right direction. And I think it is time for change. If the change doesn’t happen, I believe that Arsenal will be in a difficult position.
“We can only make a judgement from outside. We watch every single Arsenal game and it is difficult to recognise the club that we used to play for and it’s difficult to understand the reasons why Arsenal went down the last couple of years but obviously losing Arsene and not finding the right sort of crew to handle the fact that Arsene wasn’t there wasn’t in place.
“And I think every single year Arsenal didn’t get through to the Champions League or even this year to the Europa league. So this is a big disappointment for all of us as Arsenal fans.
“But we get to the time where everybody at the club, the Kroenkes need to get more involved to take Arsenal back where he (thinks) the club should be. If that’s not the case, I think it is time for them to let the club go and let somebody else take care of the football club.”
Arsenal fans will surely hope Vieira’s prediction proves accurate, as one imagines they’d welcome basically any new owner to the club right now.
It might be that Ek will also be a disappointment if he ever succeeds in buying Arsenal, but for the time being it makes sense that supporters would surely relish any opportunity to see the back of the Kroenkes.