Patrick Vieira talks Daniel Ek’s takeover attempt of Arsenal and what’s changed
Patrick Vieira has distanced himself from Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek’s rumoured attempt to buy his former club Arsenal.
The former midfielder and his fellow legends Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry publicly supported the Spotify founder’s takeover bid in April following mass fan outrage towards the club’s Kroenke ownership.
Majority owner Stan Kroenke rejected the offer but Henry revealed last month that Ek is still highly interested in buying Arsenal and that “we and he is here to stay.”
But ex-Gunners captain Vieira, who is set to return to the club as Crystal Palace’s manager in their Monday night clash, has revealed he is now in a “different position.”
When asked about his role in Ek’s takeover plans, Vieira said: "I was just expressing myself as Patrick, ex-Arsenal football player.
"That comment was based on how the direction (of the club) was going.
"I was talking to somebody who had a different view and a different way of taking (forward) Arsenal Football Club.
"This was the reason why with Dennis and Thierry were involved in the kind of situation that Arsenal was in.
"I am in a different position than a couple of months ago. So I'm not going to express myself in the same way than when I was just an ex-Arsenal football player."
Where will Arsenal finish in this season's Premier League? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section
Don't miss a thing with our football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?
Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox – don't miss a thing.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.
And that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top news stories every single morning.
You can find out more information on our email newsletter on this link here.
Vieira went on to add: “"When you were looking at the situation at the time it was clear that the Kroenke family was making the statement that the club is not for sale.
"Then I think everything was over. You can't buy a football club if it is not for sale."
Vieira has enjoyed a solid start to life as a Premier League manager with Palace, with it already clear that the players are buying into his philosophy.
Arsenal, who sit one place above Palace in the table in 13th, will provide a tough emotional and tactical test for Vieira as Mikel Arteta looks to triumph over the man he beat to the job back in 2019.
Source: Read Full Article