Thierry Henry insists billionaire Spotify owner Daniel Ek is 'here to stay' in Arsenal takeover bid

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has insisted Spotify founder Daniel Ek remains interested in a takeover of the club.

The pair were spotted in the stands at the Emirates for the north London derby on Sunday, which Arsenal won 3-1.

Henry was among a host of former players who gave their backing to a takeover of the club by the Swedish billionaire in May.

But his £1.8billion offer was rejected by under-fire Gunners owner Stan Kroenke.

Henry, speaking on Sky Sports ahead of Crystal Palace's clash with Brighton, said: ''To be able to get there you need to have someone to respond on the other side.

'He, we, is here to stay. There is no dialogue at the moment.

'I think it's going to be long, but we are here to stay."

Sportsmail revealed that Elk was prepared to pay more than £2bn for the club after an initial offer of £1.8bn was rejected.

Ek previously claimed that under-fire Gunners owner Kroenke had told him that his family 'didn't need the money' when he tried to buy the club last time.

However, sources close to the Ek camp disclosed that a second bid 'north of £2bn' is being readied and that they 'are not going anywhere and want to get a deal done'. Club insiders have admitted they are waiting for a second offer.

However, according to The Mirror, Kroenke's position has not changed and he will still not entertain any second offer to buy the Premier League giants.

Spotify founder Ek, 38, launched his bid amid a backdrop of furious protests at the American owners in the wake of their interest in joining the now doomed European Super League.

Ek took his interest public and outlined his vision for the future of the club, that included fan ownership, representation at board level and a golden share for supporters.

He even has the support of a host of Arsenal legends, including Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

Kroenke, 73, who assumed full control in 2018, is very unpopular with large sections of the club’s support.  His son, Josh, is a director at the club and a key figure in day-to-day-operations.