Arsenal’s transfer policy may be governed by Raul Sanllehi’s contact book after Sven Mislintat’s exit
Sven Mislintat & Arsenal
It’s yet to be confirmed by the Gunners, but everyone now believes that Sven Mislintat is poised to leave Arsenal.
Mislintat joined the Gunners to be the head of recruitment.
During his time at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have made some solid-looking additions.
They include the arrivals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lucas Torreira and Mattéo Guendouzi.
Other signings, like Sokratis, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Bernd Leno have been more questionable.
Raul Sanllehi’s influence at Arsenal
As we wait for Arsenal to confirm Mislintat’s exit, the analysis has started as to why this move is happening.
The German is reportedly leaving the Gunners because of his job prospects at the club. According to the Guardian:
Since Gazidis departed to join Milan and handed over to a new internal management scheme led by the director of football, Raul Sanllehi, and the managing director, Vinai Venkatesham, Mislintat’s chances of becoming technical director have diminished.
Rather than falling out with Unai Emery or the Kroenke family, it’s believed Mislintat’s biggest issues at Arsenal were with Raul Sanllehi.
Sanllehi, the club’s Director of Football, joined the Gunners from Barcelona.
As confirmed by Rafa Honingstein, Sanllehi and Mislintat have different takes on how Arsenal should consider transfers:
(Sanllehi) favoured a recruitment policy based on his extensive network of contacts throughout Europe, while Mislintat had been tasked by Gazidis to follow the kind of analytical and stats-based approach.
Arsenal’s recruitment policy
Will Arsenal make any signings this January?
That’s doubtful after Emery recently said the club have no money for new additions.
Should Arsenal bring in any players, they’ll have to arrive on loan deals.
The BBC’s David Ornstein has considered how Arsenal’s issues in the transfer market affected Mislintat:
Although there has not been a major breakdown in relations with Mislintat, Arsenal’s lack of money to spend in the January transfer window has also caused issues.
Sources have noted that Sanllehi’s approach towards recruitment centres on his vast network of contacts, whereas Mislintat tends to favour a more analytics-based approach.
What does this mean for the Gunners?
Mislintat’s imminent exit from Arsenal signals a cause for concern for Arsenal fans.
The sense is that Sanllehi, and his rolodex of ‘contacts’, is the way in which Arsenal will make transfer decisions moving forward.
Arseblog has summed up the fear for Gooners of Sanllehi’s increased influence at the club:
What is the strategy for recruitment now? Is it down to Sanllehi(?)
He’s also not a scout, not someone who can spot talent, unearth those rough diamonds. He’s a businessman who has worked in football for years, so who is going to find the players? Sanllehi’s contact book?
I genuinely hope that (Sanllehi’s) good at his job, because he’s going to need to be.
Raul Sanllehi & social media reaction
Raul Sanllehi was primarily brought into Arsenal as Club had limited working relationships with the ‘super agents’ – just as we have no money for those sorts of deals! & now head scout is off. And to compound it Arsenal don’t have a Boardroom leader. Grrr
— tim payton (@timpayton) January 15, 2019
You know, it’s almost as if the foundations Ivan Gazidis put in place before fucking off to Milan weren’t quite as solid as we all hoped they’d be.
Raul Sanllehi better be really fucking good at his job.
— arseblog (@arseblog) January 15, 2019
Vinai Venkatesham and Raul Sanllehi will hold a “fans’ forum” ahead of Saturday’s Premier League derby with Chelsea. As reported by Standard Sport, questions have been submitted in advance of the meeting at Emirates Stadium and we understand a range of topics will be discussed.
— AFCMike (@AFCPW) January 15, 2019
If we're going to start buying players on the basis of Raul Sanllehi's contact book, we should have kept Wenger. Sanllehi came to us from literally the worst-run big club in football, Barcelona, and has now turfed out the one non-fucking idiot at the club.
— Patrick van Straaten 🇿🇼 (@PatrickBVS) January 15, 2019
Also see: Arsenal vs Chelsea: Jose Mourinho’s £60,000 pundit job, but no Man United talk.
Chelsea to offer Arsenal’s Petr Cech a job.
