Two days after Arsenal's title celebrations at Selhurst Park in May, when fans were still savouring their success, co-chair was already looking ahead. "If you're not continually trying to evolve and improve, you're standing still," he said.
Speaking at Arsenal's training ground, Kroenke was insightful on the challenge of building on the club's title triumph and the approach required in the transfer market. The project had entered its "win window", he explained. The plan was to recruit accordingly.
"We have very strong foundations in place to continue to build and sustain. Getting the foundations in place is usually the hardest part of the journey. Now it's about trying to stay at the top knowing everyone is trying to climb the mountain after you."
Their pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes is the strategy in action.
Having gone through the process of building a title-winning team, Arsenal are now leveraging their status as champions to attract one of the Premier League's best players, with Guimaraes having informed Newcastle of his desire to make the move to north London.
The Brazil international turns 29 in November. He would arrive as the oldest player to be signed by Arsenal for a significant fee in the Kroenke era. What matters, though, at this stage in their project, is that he would be able to slot in and instantly improve them.
After four-and-a-half years at Newcastle, during which he has made 153 Premier League appearances and established himself among the elite in his position, Guimaraes offers a wealth of experience and a history of robustness that adds to his appeal.
Since his first full season in the Premier League, he has played over 85 per cent of available minutes, putting him among most the reliable players in the division and highlighting a resistance to injury which bodes well in terms of his longevity.
Guimaraes has developed into a complete midfielder whose combination of physical intensity and technical guile can be seen in his numbers over the course of his time with Newcastle.
His name appears among the Premier League's top five players for both tackles and through-balls since his arrival in England in 2022, alongside destroyers such as Joao Palhinha and Moises Caicedo in the first category and creators such as Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard in the second.
Guimaraes demonstrated both sides of his game even in a difficult season for Newcastle last term, producing numbers which put him among the Premier League's most productive central midfielders in a wide range of areas both on and off the ball.
His industry and aggression out of possession would undoubtedly appeal to Mikel Arteta as the Arsenal boss tries to maintain his side's capacity to dominate opponents physically. But Guimaraes would also bring qualities to improve them technically.
Arsenal are crying out for more craft and incision in central midfield to bring their open-play threat up to the level of their set-pieces and Guimaraes could provide it. Declan Rice's importance to Arsenal is not in doubt. Martin Zubimendi still has plenty to offer too. But Guimaraes is a more penetrative passer than both.
He sent a higher percentage of passes forward than either player last term and posted a higher forward-passing accuracy rate too. He averaged more line-breaking passes per 90 minutes, more through-balls and also created more open-play chances.
His adaptability is another part of his appeal. Like Rice, Guimaraes is comfortable either as a No 6 or a No 8. He could be used to accelerate Arsenal's build-up from the base of midfield, or pushed forward to break down stubborn opponents in the final third.
Guimaraes is best known as a tough-tackling leader whose full-blooded playing style personifies Newcastle under Eddie Howe but he offers plenty more than that. In addition to his imaginative distribution, there is a reliable stream of goals and assists.
In 153 Premier League games for Newcastle, Guimaraes has contributed an impressive total of 55 goal involvements, hitting double figures in the last three seasons consecutively.
His arrival at Arsenal would raise questions around some of their other midfielders, including Myles Lewis-Skelly, who usurped Zubimendi at the end of last season. But he would also allow Arteta to ease the burden on players who clearly felt it last term.
Arsenal's epic 63-game season certainly took a toll on Zubimendi, whose fatigue contributed to a loss of form in the second half of the campaign. Rice, meanwhile, recently revealed his workload has left him managing neural pain in his back and groin at the World Cup.
The need for more support in midfield is clear. But Bruno would not just be coming to share the minutes. He would be coming to raise the level as Arsenal embark on the next chapter of the Kroenke era, aiming to turn last season's success into dominance.
