Sky Sports News understands that Arsenal shareholder Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith is poised to sell her crucial stake in the club.

Sale of shares could see club in new hands

Takeover bid

understands that Arsenal shareholder Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith is poised to sell her crucial stake in the club. Bracewell-Smith owns a 15.9 per cent share in the North London side and is a key figure in the future ownership of the Gunners. The former Arsenal director, who resigned from the board in 2008, has hired bankers Blackstone to find a buyer for the fourth-largest share in the club. The move will trigger speculation that an imminent takeover could be on the cards for the Emirates Stadium outfit with Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov both waiting in the wings.American businessman Kroenke currently holds a 29.98 per cent stake in the club, fractionally below the 30 per cent threshold required to trigger a formal takeover bid. The Kroenke Sports Enterprises group could be handed significant funding in the coming weeks, with Kroenke reported to be planning a sale of his stake in the NFL side St Louis Rams on the cards. Alisher Usmanov's Red and White Holdings will also have been alerted by the latest development, as they hold a 26.29 per cent share in the Gunners. Arsenal director Danny Fiszman holds a 16.11 per cent share, with the remaining 11.72 per cent made up of minority stakeholders.