Stan Kroenke

Arsenal are considering inviting Stan Kroenke, the American sports tycoon who has a 12 per cent stake in the club, to take a place on the board.

At the same time the Premier League club have ruled out appointing a director of football to work alongside manager Arsène Wenger. But Arsenal are reviewing whether or not they need to add more than just one new person to their executive team following the abrupt departure of the managing director, Keith Edelman.

Arsenal are increasingly impressed by Kroenke and want to foster closer relationships with the American who has signed up to the lock-down agreement over share sales which effectively prevents the club being taken over before 2012 – although there is a termination clause in October 2010. Kroenke, who also has interests in ice hockey, basketball and American football, has worked hard to develop a marketing relationship with Arsenal.

It is unlikely that he will be offered a place on the board in the near future but such is the degree of trust that has developed between the parties – in contrast to the Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov – that he is likely to be asked to join before the end of the year.

Arsenal are currently looking for a replacement for Edelman – the candidates are likely to come from outside the world of football – while there is thought being given to a second appointment, possibly as a deputy, and an eventual replacement for Friar who is in his seventies.