Last season, we were promised a “big shake up” at Arsenal by Ivan Gazidis.
There was talk of a Director of Football coming in and a host of back room changes.
What materialised was Arsene Wenger signed a new two year deal and not much really changes bar a fitness and some dude from Sky coming in.
More recently, we also saw Dick Law, the man who could not negotiate, leave the club. I imagine he didn’t negotiate his own severance package.
So two more years of same old rubbish with Arsene Wenger, it seemed.
Well maybe not. The moves being made over the last week or so could lead to Arsene Wenger’s exit as early as the end of the season, leaving his role a year before his contract is due to expire.
Just yesterday it was announced that Arsenal had hired Borussia Dortmund’s highly-rated chief scout Sven Mislintat as their new head of recruitment.
The 45-year-old German has been brought in to oversee the club’s scouting and recruitment alongside manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis.
Chief scout Steve Rowley has stepped down from his role but will continue working with the club on a consultancy basis during a phase.
The news of Arsene Wenger’s loyal eyes Steve Rowley leaving is as big as Mislintat coming in.
Rowley, 58, who pre-dates Wenger’s 1996 arrival, will step down as chief scout. He was with Wenger through his successful first decade at Arsenal and beyond, elevated to the position of chief scout by the current Arsenal manager having worked his way up the hierarchy.
He is most certainly one of Wenger’s men.
On the heels of this news is the continual gossip of a new Director of Football coming in.
Despite Wenger previously dismissing the idea, and Gazidis being voted down, the CEO has pressed with his search and seems close to making a decision.
Reports from Germany indicate that Arsenal are ‘set to pay £1.75m’ to buy Michael Zorc out of Borussia Dortmund contract and appoint him in new sporting director role.
There has also been continual talk out of Spain that Gazidis is preparing for Wengers exit and wants to hire Barcelona’s Director of Football Raul Sanllehi.
These big moves will loosen the grip of Arsene Wenger, as scouting of players and the overall running of the club look to be taken away from him.
The only logical conclusion of all this is that Wenger is likely to leave Arsenal this summer, with the new management structure having bedded down and appoint their own man.
This could be the last season Wenger has at Arsenal.
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
I rate this article as an intellectual long jump. I bet Wenger is still here next season – and possibly beyond that ! As for hirings and firings and non negotiators … my understanding from inside the club is that nothing happens without Wenger’s say so and he cannot make a key decision without agonising at length until it is too late !! It really pisses off those who report to him eg. scouts.
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I dont see it as such a long jump. It will all depend on how the season pans out of course, as it should. But a trophyless season combined with missing out on the Champions League again will surely result in Wenger leaving. I think that decision would be mutual. Unless, we win a League title, I cant see him staying on beyond his current contract either. I think the article is pretty much bang on the money, its clear to me that the club are laying the foundations for life after Wenger. It will be a sad day to see such a legend go (for me anyway) but I think it is probably the right time. The hardest task wont be finding the right scouts or sporting directors, it will be finding the right Manager to replace Wenger.
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What I find odd is the glee in the tone of the article as it announced Wenger’s departure at the end of this season without incontrovertible proof, other than some pre-announced internal changes, which were well received by the said Wenger (he announced the appointments relating to football). It is obvious he will be leaving some time soon, so it shouldn’t be news that the club is preparing for life after, seeing as he did have control over everything football, making it necessary to have experts on board to share those responsibilities.
Wenger (himself from the Alsace region of France) seems to favour a German attitude in his team (from recent player recruitments); would it be surprising that the preference is for directors of recruitment and football with German backgrounds? The icing would be if Wenger’s replacement is also German.
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