From the bold idea of ​​Gazidis to a power struggle with Sanllehi, why Sven Mislintat leaves Arsenal

Just fourteen months after joining the club, Sven Mislintat left Arsenal.

When Mislintat decided to join Arsenal, he was not looking for a short-term distraction. The man whom they called "Diamond Eye" at Borussia Dortmund arrived in London in November 2017 in the hope that his new job could be one of those where he was. is rooted for "10 or 12 years".

The announcement of his departure early next month is a remarkable move for Arsenal, who had gained admiring glances around the world of football for doing what Bayern Munich could not handle by naming Mislintat in the first place.

The 46-year-old will leave his position as Arsenal's head of recruitment on 8 February and Bayern should seriously consider changing positions. As football.londres reported last week that German champions have long been interested in Mislintat and could resurrect him by handing him a technical director role, the same job he missed at Arsenal.

Suddenly, the great projects of the last months of the reign of Arsene Wenger are in tatters. Of the three men who named Unai Emery last May, there remains only one and the sun sets fast on the new dawn at Arsenal.

The bold idea of ​​Gazidis

CEO Ivan Gazidis' wish to make him a "catalyst for change" in North London sounded the death knell when the majority owner Stan Kroenke went to Arsene Wenger to sign a new contract two years after the victory of the FA Cup in May 2017

Determined to prevent the chaos of the beginning of the year from recurring, Gazidis set in motion the construction of a collegiate structure around a head coach, Wenger or other, which would end the chaos. 39th era of the all-powerful leaders of Arsenal.

One could not criticize his ambition because it attracted the spotlight of two of the best European clubs to carry out the overhaul of Arsenal. Raul Sanllehi arrived from Barcelona as head of football relations – a football director almost all except his name – while Mislintat came to head the recruitment department.

Gazidis outlined its plans last summer, stating, "We have two technical experts involved in the process and many others badisting them." The two technical experts would be Sven Mislintat, head of recruitment and Raul Sanllehi, who is working on the negotiation and then Unai himself, who has a big say.

"I felt that when we decided to change football, we needed to put in place a new structure that would involve world-clbad personalities who could challenge each other and have a lively debate but support each other. . " and the decisions that are made and execute them the best we can. All members of this team have considerable experience. "

The union of Sanllehi and Mislintat was a statement of intent, but it came with complications early on. Both have had very different experiences in the world of football beyond the simple fact that it is a Spanish and a German one.

Before working in Barcelona, ​​Sanllehi had been a manager at Nike. He was well known in the corridors of power on the continent. His contacts in South America were of exceptional quality and he had played a key role in Neymar's invitation to Camp Nou.

Mislintat's approach, which relies more on badysis than Sanllehi's, speaks for itself. He identified Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele as undervalued badets in the transfer market. All three would feature for Dortmund and would then earn considerable transfer fees for a relatively small investment.

Without the resources of Manchester clubs or continental rivals, Arsenal would need to recruit smarter than anyone, to find talent where others did not seek it.

Gazidis himself acknowledged the potential pitfalls of having two experts in their field leading the Arrsenal transfer team. If a person comes too often to the top of "intense debates", it is easy for others to become disillusioned.

What was probably needed was a leader who could make the most of this meeting of minds. This man was Gazidis. Then he left.

The allure of waking the sleeping giant that was AC Milan meant that just as he had won what looked like a war of hearts and minds of Arsenal with Wenger, the 39, a man who had reshaped the Emirates as he heard it decided. appeal to him more.

In his place, there was no new general manager, with the exception of Sanllehi's two-headed executive board, now responsible for all football matters, Mislintat's boss and Vinai Venkatesham. , who would look after the commercial interests of Arsenal.

The technical director

The appointment of Sanllehi as head of football meant redefining the lines. A new technical director was to be appointed, responsible for defining Arsenal's style of play, admission and training.

When the news of the plan was first announced in November, the name of Mislintat was the first and only related name, but Arsenal quickly responded by easing the suggestion that their hiring manager could take a step forward so early in his club.

At the time, a source at the club said football.londres that "the fact that Mislintat is doing well in his current job does not mean that he needs a promotion".

It is now said that Mislintat was not neglected for the post, which seems to go to midfielder Invincibles, Edu.

Although what appears to be a de facto exchange agreement between Edu and Mislintat is not popular among Arsenal fans, it makes perfect sense to do so for the general coordinator of the event. Brazil national team, 40 years old previously a senior figure at Corinthians.

However, the imposition of a technical director would further erode the influence of Mislintat, who was compromised during a transfer in January where one of the main goals of the club is Denis Suarez, whose biggest fans at the club would be Sanllehi and Emery.

Meanwhile, finances are at the limit of their financial means to finance even the type of low-cost swoops that have tarnished Mislintat's reputation in Dortmund.

The legacy of Mislintat

It may have lasted a little over a year, but Mislintat largely leaves Arsenal in a better spot than he found. Admittedly, he did no harm to the players he identified for the gunners.

His first signature could be one of the most astute. Even before starting his work at Arsenal, Mislintat had identified PAS Giannina's central defender, Konstantinos Mavropanos, as a rough diamond. The hiring manager moved ahead with the GBP 2.2 million transaction, which largely unfolded without the manager of the time, Wenger.

This was the herald of a new era. Even if Wenger had not been consulted about the move – and had not previously concealed the dissatisfaction with Gazidis' off-the-job review – he was sufficiently impressed by Mavropanos to block the loan transfer to the planned Bundesliga. and immediate. integrate the youngster into the first team.

Mislintat also defended Matteo Guendouzi, signed for Lorient a £ 8 million contract and is already a regular on the first team of Arsenal, and Lucas Torreira, whose acquisition of 27 million pounds could become the play. more clever than the club has ever created.

None of these signatures made during his tenure has been a real disaster and those who have most disappointed come with reservations. Stephan Lichtsteiner was signed as much for his influence on the locker room as for the quality of his legs while he was 35 years old, while Henkh Mkhitaryan in exchange for Alexis Sanchez was probably the best qu & # 39; They may have a bad situation.

Much work remains to be done to restructure the club in the coming months, with Mesut Ozil's £ 350,000 a week deal saying Gazidis has punished a wheel that weighs heavily on all of Arsenal's business.

Mislintat would certainly have been put to the test at Arsenal in the unlikely event he stayed there. If the club does not qualify for the Champions League, the money will be tight, with perhaps as little as 50 million pounds to spend. He would not be so compelled to Bayern Munich.

What will happen to the players identified by Mislintat as targets before the announcement of his departure remains to be seen. The German defended Nicolas Pepe in Lille as a summer rookie. Sanllehi would be in favor of Boca Juniors Cristian Pavon. Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki was also thinking.

Whatever happens in the next transfer windows, one thing is clear. Arsenal will be immensely worse off without the eye of Mislintat for a prospect.

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