Soccer:American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in Premier League soccer club Arsenal again, upping his holding to 28.7 per cent, the club said today.

Kroenke, who joined the club's board last year and became the largest shareholder in May, bought a further 80 shares for €9,295 a share, taking him closer to the 29.9 percent threshold that would force him to make an offer for the remaining shares.

In a statement to the Stock Exchange, Arsenal Holdings PLC said it had received notification that he had acquired the extra shares, taking his stake to 17,867 ordinary shares, representing 28.7 per cent of the company's issued ordinary shares.

In July he paid €1.64million for 160 shares taking his stake to 28.58 per cent.

Kroenke has leapfrogged Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who was the largest shareholder with about 25 per cent.

Arsenal have been at the centre of takeover speculation after Kroenke and Usmanov started building stakes.

-Reuters