Arsenal: Patrick Vieira says Daniel Ek will definitely try again after failed £1.8bn bid

Patrick Vieira insists Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek will bid again to buy Arsenal after his opening offer of £1.8billion was rejected by the Kroenke family.

The Spotify founder revealed earlier this month that he did make an offer to buy the club after suggestions there had been no approach, but added he was told by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment that they ‘didn’t need the money’.

Vieira – along with former Gunners team-mates Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry – have publicly backed Ek’s bid, with the ex-club captain telling Sportsmail at the weekend the club need new direction having ‘lost their identity’ in recent years.

Patrick Vieira (left) insists Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek (right) will bid again to buy Arsenal

Ek revealed this month his bid was rejected by Josh Kroenke (left) and father Stan (centre)

Now speaking on the ITV Football Podcast, the former France international believes the rejection has not dissuaded Ek from trying again and he will be in it for the long haul, insisting the club ‘is in a criticial moment’.

‘He [Ek] is definitely going to try again,’ Vieira said.

‘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.

Vieira (right), along with fellow Arsenal legends Thierry Henry (centre) and Dennis Bergkamp (left) are backing Ek’s attempts to buy the club

Billionaire Ek revealed he was told by Arsenal’s owners that they ‘didn’t need the money’

‘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.’ 

Ek’s interest first arose amid protests from fans regarding the club’s involvement in the now defunct European Super League.

But matters were not improved on the field, with the Gunners finishing eighth in the Premier League, leaving them without European football next season for the first time in 25 years. 

And Vieira believes their current struggles are the result of the club not taking the ‘right direction’, failing to adequately replace former boss Arsene Wenger and the detached ownership from the Kroenkes. 

Ek’s interest first arose amid protests against the current owners around the now defunct ESL

‘In the last couple of years I believe that the club didn’t take the right direction,’ Vieira added. ‘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.’ 

Things did not improve much on the pitch, as Mikel Arteta’s men finished eighth in the league

It leaves the Gunners without European football next season for the first time in 25 years

Vieira’s message that Ek will not quit echoes the one given by former team-mate Bergkamp, who claimed the Swede had reached out on more than one occasion to director Josh Kroenke.  

Bergkamp said: ‘We can’t force anyone to sell. But I understand that, in addition to that offer, Daniel has now reached out twice to Josh Kroenke and his bankers.

‘Whatever Kroenke’s intentions are, it would be good if we at least have a conversation with each other in the interests of the club.

‘Regardless, Daniel is not a quitter and neither are we football boys. We are here to stay.’

Vieira believes the failure to adequately replace Arsene Wenger has led to their current woes