Why Sven Mislintat’s Appointment Could Signal The End Of The Road For Arsene Wenger
Arsenal recently announced the appointment of Borussia Dortmund’s famed chief scout Sven Mislintat as their head of recruitment. He is also known as ‘diamond eye’ for his sharp eye in recognising future talents. It is undoubtedly a massive step for Arsenal in building a future without Arsene Wenger. There has been a lot of talk about the manager hanging up his gloves soon and Mislintat’s appointment could be a further proof of that.
Barring their victory against Tottenham last weekend, Arsenal have put up the same inconsistent performances which have led to growing frustration against Wenger. However, signing Mislintat is certainly a step in the right direction.
One might say that only in Arsenal do the fans follow every backroom recruitment with so much detail but one cannot blame them. They are hungry for seeing fresh, raw talented individuals play for them – a feat they saw a few years earlier but they don’t see anymore. Once upon a time, Wenger was touted as the manager adept at poaching young players but it is understandable that his resources have dried up over the years.
However, with Mislintat in charge of scouting, the Gunners can be relieved. This was a move that was needed for a long time and when he arrives, he will replace Steve Rowley – a scout who has spent 25 years with Arsenal. The fact remains that the North London side have fallen short in recruiting young talent, especially when compared to their rivals. Even Manchester City are stepping up their interest in young players, making it all the more necessary for Arsenal to do the same once more.
Initially, Wenger had enough contacts and the resources to do the dirty work and land young stars. But now, times have changed and almost every other club seems to have sufficient resources and people to do the same – which has enabled a lot of them to overtake Arsenal in this aspect. Wenger may have lured the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry but as of now, he has not brought in any notable young talent.
That said, Mislintat is renowned as one of the best scouts of our times. He is not only adept at identifying talents but also in ensuring his club makes a heavy profit from those signings. For example, he signed Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembele but sold them for steep prices to Manchester United and Barcelona respectively. He also brought in the likes of Robert Lewandoski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Mislintat will need to bring all his magic to Arsenal, which will help them set a strong foundation for a future without Arsene Wenger.