Raul Sanllehi is set to join Arsenal’s backroom staff in a deal that will see the Gunners restructuring the scouting and recruitment departments.
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis infamously promised there would be ‘catalyst for change’ at the club – however with long-serving manager Arsene Wenger signing a two-year deal at the end of last season – coupled with the club’s inability to tie down their most high profile stars in Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to new deals – many fans were beginning to question what this phrase exactly meant.
However, it appears that Gazidis has been slowly making inroads with changes to the club’s backroom staff.
New additions at London Colney include ex-keeper Jens Lehmann, who joined as a first-team coach, former Team Sky lawyer Huss Fahmy, who will work with player contracts, and more recently Sven Mislintat, who will replace Steve Rowley as the club’s chief scout.
Mislintat’s arrival was welcomed by fans as the club have fallen behind in recent years to acquire the services of the world’s top talents.
He has been credited with recruiting the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during his 11 years at Borussia Dortmund.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are also set to appoint former Barcelona director of football, Raul Sanllehi.
Arsene Wenger has voiced his opinion against having a director of football, but it seems that the club are planning for the future for when the Frenchman steps down.
It’s more likely Sanllehi will play a crucial role in shaping the club’s recruitment alongside Mislintat, in a director of operations role.
He will likely be tasked with carrying out the duties that previous transfer negotiator, Dick Law, used to oversee and bringing in Arsenal’s top targets.
Who is Sanllehi and what has he done?
Sanllehi has been an influential figure at Barcelona and arrived at Barcelona from Nike in 2007, still holding strong links with the American sports brand.
He is also close with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and crucially is a close ally of Ivan Gazidis.
He is a hugely influential figure in Spanish football and played a significant role in the complicated deal that took Neymar to Spain.
He flew to Brazil to negotiate personally with the player and his father and to close the deal.
Interestingly, he is also seen a having been key in the deal that saw Alexis Sanchez sign for Barcelona from Udinese in 2011.
It remains to be seen whether the Chile star will stay at the Gunners – however – Arsene Wenger today ruled out a January exit for both Sanchez and Ozil.
The appointment of Sanllehi and Mislintat could see an injection of new ideas and fresh impetus to Arsenal’s backroom staff.
Crucially, the club will hope they can help to make a difference to the club – both off and on – the pitch.
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