With Raul Sanllehi gone, Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta, can begin to look forward

Summary:

Two years on from Arsène Wenger leaving Arsenal, the club have essentially done a complete 180 degree turn from the decisions made that summer.

The departure of Raul Sanllehi means that Mikel Arteta has gained a lot more power.

From the beginning of his appointment, Arteta has acted more of a manager than a head coach.

For the Kroenkes, then, the stewardship of Arteta will be crucial—a call back to the days of Arsène Wenger.

Arteta, though, will at least have Arsenal’s best interests at heart. That could not be said of Sanllehi.

Sanllehi was acting in the best interests of agents, not the club. And with Sanllehi not adequately explaining Arsenal’s plan, Occam’s razor applied: the simplest answer is that Sanllehi was putting his relationship with agents ahead of Arsenal’s long-term interests as a football club.

Arsenal will have to identify players, which will be difficult when the entire scouting network has been dismantled.