Kroenke ownership experiences major change at Arsenal as Mikel Arteta prepares for new era

Josh Kroenke has gone through a major profile shift at Arsenal as the club moves to compete and win the biggest trophies (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

"I would say 'be excited!'"

Famous words from the Arsenal now-co-chairman , Josh Kroenke, from an interview back in 2019. A year after Kroenke Sports Entertainment (KSE) had taken full control of the club, buying out the second-highest shareholder at the time, Alisher Usmanov.

The £550million offer to buy the 30% stake forced a complete purchase of all the club's then shareholders. At the time, the move was not particularly popular, and Stan Kroenke, owner of KSE, had been heavily scrutinised during his tenure with the club.

A lack of competitive seasons since the early 2000s and the club's fall out of the Champions League under Arsene Wenger preceded the takeover, with the relationship between the club hierarchy and the fan base at an all-time low. However, since 2018 and the famous quotes, Arsenal have only moved in one direction: upward.

Outside of the European Super League fiasco in April 2021, the view of the ownership has changed dramatically. The Super League U-turn, in many ways, sparked the huge level of investment under Mikel Arteta.

"As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days, we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake, and we apologise for it," a statement from the Arsenal board read on April 20, 2021.

Josh Kroenke has been the main figurehead of the club's ownership during this time, with Stan Kroenke present but allowing his son to oversee operations. Alongside long-term adviser and now the club's executive vice-chairman, Tim Lewis, there have been major executive changes since 2018.

From the sacking of Unai Emery, the exits of Vinai Venkatesham, Raul Sanllehi and Sven Mislintat to the promotion and eventual departure of Edu Gaspar. Hiring Andrea Berta in 2025 to oversee yet another club record expenditure on eight new signings.

While trophies remain somewhat elusive, the last coming during Arteta’s first season at the helm, the club has not been in such a competitive position since the late 90s and early 00s. Three second-place finishes, after coming fifth and eighth the previous two seasons, highlight that upward trajectory.

Requalifying for the Champions League but also reaching the semi-final stage for the first time since 2009. On the way, they put five past the holders at the time, Real Madrid, winning in the Emirates and in the Bernabeu.

They have done so with a squad built from the ground up, and while spending is now highlighted as almost a stick to beat the club, it is a far cry from the days of protests. The words “You spend! We spent!” might still be ringing in the ears of some.

Josh Kroenke wrote in May of this year, before the end of the season: "As a club, we're striving to win major trophies and, on the men's front, we know we have fallen short of what we all wanted this season.

"We're still pursuing second place in the Premier League for the third year running, but we all want to win it. We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season."

The promise of investment was certainly fulfilled, and should have given supporters little doubt about the desire to take the final step from runners-up to champions across as many fronts as possible.

"Ultimately, we all want the same thing," Josh Kroenke wrote . "We're as hungry for success as you are, and that goes for everyone who works for the club."

For some, the damage has been too great in the past, and until the club delivers league titles again, this might be the only cure. Even then, the Super League decisions, among other choices, will be unforgivable to many of those same people.

While there are fears that, with the growing global marketability of the sport and teams such as the Spanish clubs playing competitive domestic fixtures abroad, Arsenal may also be forced to join in with similar actions. In the wake of the Super League decision, during a face-to-face conversation with heads of Arsenal fan groups, Josh Kroenke promised Arsenal would not play home matches away from the capital.

"From a trust perspective, I'm not asking you to trust me," he said. "All of our trust was shredded this week; I fully understand that. That's why I'm trying to rebuild some sort of relationship with the supporters, starting with yourselves."

A fan insisted: "Can you guarantee we will never play home matches away from London while you and KSE own Arsenal?" Kroenke replied: "I can guarantee that."

There is a very real possibility that this promise will be tested in the years to come. With the likes of Todd Boehly discussing Premier League All-Star games and taking lessons from American sports, some big voices are speaking words that will worry many fans.

For now, the mood is overwhelmingly positive, and even in the wake of an early setback at Anfield, optimism remains high for the campaign. Ultimately, at an executive level, all that can be done has been done, and now the emphasis falls on Mikel Arteta and the players to deliver what everyone so craves - to usher in an era of dominance, success, and trophies for the Gunners.