Josh Kroenke has just confirmed £16m deal that shows what is really going on at Arsenal
09/12/2024 01:00 PM
Josh Kroenke appears to be the man pulling the strings behind the scenes at Arsenal, but the latest developments raise an interesting question about who is really in charge.
There is no denying that the junior Kroenke has become the public face of the Arsenal ownership regime, with Stan Kroenke living up to his ‘Silent Stan’ moniker.
Technically, Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke hold equal power as co-chairmen at the Emirates.
But the dynamic between father and son seems to be that, while Stan will make the very biggest decisions, Josh is more involved with the day-to-day operation at Arsenal.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) is the second-most valuable sports empire in the world and is valued at between around £10bn and £15bn, depending who you ask.
As well as Arsenal and a huge property portfolio, KSE owns the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, NBA franchise the Denver Nuggets, ice hockey team Colorado Avalanche, and MLS club Colorado Rapids.
The LA Rams are the most valuable investment in the Kroenke stable, rated at £6.1bn in Sportico’s top-50 most valuable sports enterprises.
Arsenal did not make the list.
Josh Kroenke’s latest purchase
Stan Kroenke is rarely seen at Arsenal games. His appearance at a match at the Emirates in April this year was his first for over a year.
Josh Kroenke is spotted in North London more frequently and was in attendance for the opening-day victory over Wolves a few weeks ago.
But he is not exactly a permanent fixture and is believed to spend almost all of his time in Denver, Colorado the seat of the Kroenke empire.
Now, in another development that illustrates that the extent of Josh Kroenke’s everyday involvement at Arsenal, the 44-year-old has just bought a new mansion in Colorado, per The Denver Post.
The £16m house is the eighth address associated with Kroenke in Denver, indicating that he spends almost all of his time their in his capacity as president of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.
The Kroenkes, Richard Garlick, Mikel Arteta, Edu Gaspar: Who’s in charge at Arsenal?
The Arsenal board is made up of the Kroenkes, executive vice-chair Tim Lewis and Lord Philip Harris.
Over the summer, Vinai Venkatesham was succeeded by Richard Garlick as Arsenal’s chief executive, although Garlick’s updated title is managing director.
Sporting director Edu Gaspar and head coach Mikel Arteta, who has just signed a new three-year contract, handle the football operation.
Arsenal have around 500 staff in total.
