Arsenal boss Stan Kroenke

Club bosses are undertaking a feasibility study into starting a large-scale headquarters in the US, where Arsenal can develop American youngsters. WIN A LUXURY CRUISE TRIP FOR TWO WORTH £2,500! It is the brainchild of Missouri-born, multi-millionaire Gunners director Stan Kroenke, who firmly believes America is a largely untapped market. Kroenke owns several US sports teams, including the Colorado Rapids MLS side, and is keen to develop a training headquarters in America as he believes the talent pool in the US is enormous. He has not been put off by the relative failure of Manchester United’s link-up with the New York Yankees baseball team, which has so far had a negligible impact.

Kroenke’s aim is far more ambitious, to open a full-blown Arsenal training academy in the US which would nurture young talent with the aim of producing Premier League players. An Arsenal source said: “The club is convinced that America is a vast and largely untapped potential resource. Football is huge in America and there should be more American youngsters getting through to the highest level – and the belief is they would be if they had the chance. “Right now, the best athletes are taken by the other main sports in the US, whereas this would be the start of trying to turn them into the Premier League footballers of tomorrow.” Three years ago, Arsenal announced an agreement between themselves and Denver-based Kroenke Sports Enterprises, with the aim of building up the Gunners’ brand in the US.