Arsenal are on the lookout for a director of football after Sven Mislintat left the club and it seems they've made a former player their top target to replace the former Borussia Dortmund man.
Directors of football are all the rage these days. There was a time when that kind of thing was left to our cousins in Europe but at time when we're leaving the EU we're ironically starting to copy their football teams more and more.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger used to run their teams almost completely by themselves but as football has evolved managers are often more like head coaches and someone else looks after transfers.
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Wenger was joined by Sven Mislintat in his last year at Arsenal with the former Borussia Dortmund guru helping to bring in Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Sokratis Papastathopoulos from his former club. Some guru that, just bringing in players you've worked with before.
But less than a year after the Frenchman stopped managing the club he's been followed out of the door by Mislintat, leaving the Gunners looking for his replacement.
According to the Daily Mail one former Arsenal player is in pole position as the Gunners are eyeing up a move for Ajax director of football Marc Overmars.
The 45 year old has been part of the backroom staff with the Eredivisie club since 2012, having previously also been a coach at the club.
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Overmars played for Arsenal under Wenger between 1997 and 2000 and won the Premier League and FA Cup with the Gunners.
His history for both the club and the Premier League in general as well as success in the role for Ajax make him a perfect candidate whilst his stint with Barcelona also saw him cross paths with Head of Football Raul Sanllehi, who would be his boss at the Emirates.
Former Sevilla director of football Monchi, who worked with manager Unai Emery in Spain, is also one of the men being looked at by Arsenal.
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The former goalkeeper now holds the role with Roma but his deal in Italy means it could be difficult to get him off the Serie A side.
Manchester United have also revealed they will appoint a director of football ahead of next season so the two English sides could end up competing for one of them.
Topics: Football News, Unai Emery, Transfer stories, Transfer rumours, Arsene Wenger, Premier League, Arsenal, Transfer news