MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Josh Kroenke (R) Director of Arsenal looks on from the stands ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on April 26, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Josh Kroenke meets with Arteta ahead of summer investment plan

May 15, 2023

Josh Kroenke was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and he met with Mikel Arteta after the Arsenal match.

Mikel Arteta ponders Arsenal's defeat vs Brighton and Gabriel Martinell's injury that left him in a protective boot. Martin Odegard is in the background — LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks dejected following the team’s defeat during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on May 14, 2023. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta retains full backing from Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) despite a trophy-less season.
Champions League football’s return will financially aid Arsenal, enabling the club to attract top talents.
Arsenal aim to pursue high-profile targets such as Declan Rice, indicating continued investment from the Kroenkes.

The Evening Standard report that Mikel Arteta retains full backing from Kroenke Sports & Entertainment after this season, and Josh Kroenke was in attendance at Arsenal’s game against Brighton on Sunday.

Kroenke and LA Rams head coach Sean McVay went to visit Arteta after the final whistle, with the Rams also owned by KSE.

Arteta will hope for further investment from the Kroenkes in the current Arsenal team this summer, with the Gunners having made a clear improvement this season whilst still falling short of trophies.

Champions League football is back, and that will certainly help on the financial side, as well as allowing Arsenal to pursue top talents who exclusively want to play in the competition

arsenal fc v brighton and hove albion premier league 6 — LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks dejected during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on May 14, 2023. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

But Manchester City will also have Champions League football, and Manchester United and Newcastle United probably will too, on top of the riches all three clubs possess.

If Arsenal want to push on and fight for the title again next year, the Kroenkes need to back Arteta with more than just the bare minimum that Champions League qualification provides.

If we’re looking to be optimistic, Arsenal’s season should have provided plenty of encouragement for the owners that Arteta is a manager worth backing.

Reports suggest that the Gunners are pursuing high-profile targets like Declan Rice this summer, and the Kroenkes will indeed continue to invest in the team.

Josh Kroenke’s presence at Sunday’s game is hopefully further evidence of that commitment to taking the next step with the team.