Kroenke owns several US sports clubs alongside his Arsenal stake
Arsenal's billionaire investor Stan Kroenke kept quiet when asked about plans for a takeover bid at the club's annual general meeting on Thursday.
United States sports magnate Kroenke owns nearly 29% of the Gunners' holding company, and must launch a formal takeover bid if that reaches 29.9%.
But Kroenke allowed chairman Peter Hill-Wood to answer in his stead.
"I don't think we are looking for a change in custodian," said Hill-Wood. "The club is in pretty good hands."
City financial regulations would compel any shareholder - such as Kroenke, or second-largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov - to launch a takeover bid once the threshold of a 29.9% stake is reached.
Kroenke's group are currently 646 shares short of that threshold, following a recent purchase of 90 shares for £765,000, at some £8,500 per share.
Any public statements against future bid intentions must be unambiguous, otherwise the individual or group would, under the Takeover Panel's rule 2.8, be prevented from making a formal move for six months.
"I believe Stan is happy to be a long-term shareholder in our club, but really it's not for me to say what his intentions are," added Hill-Wood.
"It is not something I can discuss publicly or even privately.
"We have a takeover panel breathing down our necks and I have to be very careful with what I say."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, celebrating his 60th birthday at the meeting, told shareholders he expected the club to bring a trophy to the Emirates Stadium for the first time this season.
"I know that we haven't won a trophy for four years but we were very close," he said.
"I believe that this year the team will do it, and when I say that, it is not to please you, it is because I am really convinced of it."
Arsenal's last silverware was the 2005 FA Cup, won while the club were based at Highbury.
Bookmark with:
What are these?