Missouri billionaire Stan Kroenke was asked on Wednesday by the founder of music and podcast streaming giant Spotify to "hear me out" about an offer to buy an English soccer club.
Daniel Ek, with the backing of three legendary former Arsenal FC players, signaled he wants to take over the club following a tumultuous week that included thousands of fans protesting at Kroenke's continued control.
The protest was prompted by the club's involvement in a plan to set up a European Super League that would have upended the continent's entire soccer structure and introduced a U.S.-style owner-controlled closed shop for the richest clubs. It collapsed just over 48 hours after its announcement.
Columbia, Mo.-born Kroenke, who owns the London club through his Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, has so far quashed any talk of a potential offer to sell for what would be an estimated near $3 billion.
But Ek, who is Swedish and says he has supported the club since childhood, announced that he was serious about the bid, which also involves former players Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
"I'm very serious," Ek, worth in the region of $4.7 billion, told CNBC: "I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out."
He added: "I certainly didn't expect this will happen overnight and I am prepared for this to be a long journey. I've been an Arsenal fan since I was eight years old.
"Arsenal is my team. I love the history. I love the players. And of course, I love the fans.
"So as I look at that, I just see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club to bring it back to its glory. And I want to establish trust with fans and I want to engage the fans again."
But Josh Kroenke, who is more involved than his father in the day to day operations of the club. reportedly told 350 staff Tuesday that the company is not willing to consider an offer and that it is committed to investing in helping the team compete for major trophies again.
Since Kroenke took majority control of the club in 2011, Arsenal has failed to win an English league title or progress beyond the last 16 of the Champions League, Europe's premier competition.
In a statement following the staff call, the club said: "We remain 100 percent committed to Arsenal and are not selling any stake in the club. We have not received any offer and we will not entertain any offer.
"Our ambition for Arsenal remains to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and our focus remains on improving our competitiveness on the pitch to achieve this."
St. Louis City, and others, are suing Kroenke and his company, and all the other NFL owners, over moving the Rams to Los Angeles. The trial is set to take place next year.
The company did not respond to a request for comment from the St. Louis Record. Ek did not respond to messages.