Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has bought Major League Baseball franchise the Los Angeles Angels in a deal reportedly worth $4bn.

Kroenke, who has had a controlling stake in Arsenal since 2011, now owns teams in six major sporting leagues.

The Angels join NFL side the Los Angeles Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL and MLS team the Colorado Rapids, as well as the Gunners, in being under the 79-year-old’s control.

While the cost of the deal was not announced, the Los Angeles Times, external have reported that it is a record price for an MLB team, exceeding the $3.9bn the San Diego Padres were sold for in August.

“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke said in a statement.

“We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organisation.”

Previous owner Arte Moreno bought the Angels in 2003 but had come under pressure from fans to sell the club after 11 years without qualifying for the play-offs.

With less than a month of the regular season remaining, that is set to extend to 12 seasons – the longest active play-off drought in the MLB – with the Angels holding the joint-worst record in the American League.

Fan discontent has intensified this season with their “Tarps Off” protest, in which supporters went shirtless and waved their shirts above their heads, going viral.

Chants of “sell the team” and “we want play-offs” have also been heard regularly at Angel Stadium.

A statement from Moreno read: “The Moreno family has been honoured to steward the Angels for 23 years and we believe with [Kroenke’s holding company] Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s experience and success, they are the best next owner for the franchise.”