Arsenal fans protesting outside the Emirates ahead of the match against Everton

MIKEL Arteta has urged Arsenal’s owners, the Kroenke family, to reach out to the club’s disgruntled supporters.

Fans gathered en masse outside the Emirates Stadium on Friday ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League defeat against Everton, demanding change at the very top.

They called for Stan Kroenke – who, along with his son Josh, runs the club through his company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment – to sell up and “give us our Arsenal back”.

When quizzed on whether he felt the Kroenkes engaging with Gooners would help, Arteta said he believes fans would be “surprised” if they got to know the Arsenal owners better.

“If we all feel that is necessary and will be helpful, I’m sure they will do anything it takes to bring the fans closer to them,” said the Gunners gaffer.

“If they [the fans] get the opportunity to know them, I think most of them would be surprised. If that’s the case, I think that would benefit everybody at the football club. It would benefit the fans and it would bring a lot of clarity.

“So if there is a way to do that, and it’s going to be helpful, let’s do it.”

Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek, said to be an Arsenal “obsessive”, responded to the protests by preparing a takeover bid. And he has even got some backing in the shape of club legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.

Ek, who is worth an estimated £3.2billion, made it clear he is willing to play a game of patience when it comes to prising Arsenal out of the Kroenkes’ hands.

Speaking to American business news channel CNBC, he said: “I certainly didn’t expect that this [a takeover] would happen overnight. And I’m prepared that this could be a long journey.

“I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring what I think is a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.”

But the Kroenke family were quick to shoot down any talk that they are willing to sell the club.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, they said: “In recent days we have noted media speculation regarding a potential takeover bid for Arsenal Football Club.

“We remain 100 per cent 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.”