Arsenal are expected to announce that Stan Kroenke has received another payment of £3m for the second year running when their company accounts are reported on Tuesday.

The news will certainly server to anger a lot of fans who see that money as cash that could be used to reduce the price of tickets for fans at the Emirates while Arsenal will claim that the payment represents good value for ‘strategic and advisory services’ provided to the club by Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.

When the payment was made last year, shareholders were quick to defend it in the wake of anger from fans and it’s hard to see a different reaction playing out this time.

Speaking last year at the AGM, chairman Sir Chips Keswick said “This fee was proposed by myself and Lord Harris [another director] for the wide range of services provided.

“KSE is one of the most respected and successful sports organisations in the United States, operating in the most sophisticated sports business market in the world.

“They have an extensive and long experience in modern sports management. It is of the utmost importance that, as a club, we use it to our best advantage to ensure we keep progressing. There was no competitive tender for these services as they are directly available to us. We are entirely satisfied the fee was appropriate.”

Given the rage felt by many at Arsenal’s seeming inactivity in the transfer market, being told that money is being paid out to the owner in order to ‘ensure we keep progressing’ is likely to be seen as a bit of a slap in the face.