The Independent says Kroenke will tell the club's directors, hopefully in a meeting next month, that his priority is to raise the standards at the Colorado Rapids, the football team he has sunk millions into, and in the MLS.

It was his desire to create a more professional league in the US that led to his involvement with Arsenal in the first place. Sources accept that Kroenke also saw acquiring the 12.2 per cent stake in Arsenal as an opportunity to explore whether or not he should buy the club but that, now, he feels it would be too complicated and drawn out.

The situation may change but Kroenke will reiterate his claim that he wants to take a "long view" on his investment.