Mikel Arteta has flown to Colorado to meet with Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, with transfer talks being right at the top of the agenda.
The pair were spotted at an NHL match between Kroenke’s Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks after Arteta was invited as a guest of the Arsenal owner to hold talks over transfers ahead of the January 31 deadline.
It is rare to see Stan Kroenke with an Arsenal coach or manager as he was hardly ever pictured with Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery.
So with Arteta given the golden opportunity to receive some clarity from the Gunners owner, The Arsenal Way has selected several questions that supporters would have asked Stan if they were in Arteta's shoes.
1. Why didn’t you give Arsene Wenger the same financial backing as you have done recently with Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta? (@Baileykeogh_)
Arsenal were the biggest spenders in the summer transfer window and have spent heavily in the last couple of seasons. But during Arsene Wenger’s reign, Kroenke was reluctant to allow the Gunners to spend large amounts when they were arguably a much better side.
2. You are reportedly offering Mikel Arteta a new contract, why not wait until the end of the season? (@Baileykeogh_)
Arsenal’s fate for this campaign still has a huge question mark as the season can be a huge success or a major failure, and Arteta’s decision-making will be key to the eventual outcome. Considering this, offering him a new contract at the midway point is a risky decision.
3. After this season, how are you going to continue the forward trajectory of the club and squad in order to fulfil our long-term goals? (@RemiCribb)
Arsenal are currently experiencing a rebuilding process under Arteta and have seen some improvement compared to the eighth-place finish last season. It's crucial that the foot doesn't step off the gas.
4. Why does Arteta have to travel all the way to Denver to convince you to improve the success of your business? (@Tasejoshua)
It is rare to see Stan at Arsenal games as he is usually in America, but the fact that Arteta had to travel to see him rather than the other way round certainly makes you question Stan’s commitment to the club. Stans son, Josh Kroenke, is more often than not in London and around the club facilities.
5. How would you judge Mikel Arteta’s time at Arsenal so far and has he reached the initial targets you set, if not, how has he missed these targets? (@Baileykeogh_)
Fans are divided on where the Gunners should be at this point in Mikel Arteta’s reign with some saying Arsenal should be in the Champions League by now. Others say that his trajectory is on point, however, it would be interesting to see the outlines that the Kroenke’s first gave the Arsenal manager when they appointed him.
6. Have you ever considered doing a UK interview like Josh Kroenke earlier in the season? (@HushKerai)
Josh Kroenke gave an insightful interview to Sky Sports about the direction the club is heading towards and opened up on the proposed European Super League, but it would be even more interesting to hear the words of Stan Kroenke to a British outlet.
7. If you’re serious about wanting Arsenal to succeed and grow as a club, why do you rarely attend matches? (cdavison_afc)
Owners are regularly at their club’s home and away matches, but with Stan Kroenke, it’s very rare. For your goals and achievements to be contagious, your message has to be spread from a closer distance.
8. Can you promise us that the ambition shown last summer will become a regular occurrence moving forward? (cdavison_afc)
Stan injected a lot of money for transfers last summer, but the motive behind that could have been to deflect the attention away from the European Super League backlash on behalf of the club. We need to see consistency ahead of the summer transfer window in terms of money being spent.
If you could ask Stan Kroenke one question, what would it be and why?
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