Arsenal: Marc Overmars Brings Past Into Future

There will be a time when Arsene Wenger is no longer at Arsenal. Pursuing Marc Overmars as a sporting director will bring the past into that future.

Arsenal are coming to a time without Arsene Wenger. Some would like that to come earlier than others but whether you are the staunchest Wenger supporter or his biggest critic, what cannot be understated and unquestioned is that when this time comes, significant and long-lasting change will come.

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Unlike almost all world clubs, Arsenal are still an organisation that are moulded in the image of one man. Wenger still has a detailed and significant influence on every aspect of the running of the club, from the tactics to the playing squad to the infrastructure of the board and the behind-the-scenes management.

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That is unusual for a modern football club and when Wenger needs to be replaced, people will need to be hired to ease the transition between a manager who is capable of making decisions on every aspect of the organisation to a manager who wholly wants to the focus on the playing squad.

There have been rumours suggesting that they may look to hire a sporting director as someone to aid with the transition process. Who that person would be, though, is a question that is yet to be answered. The latest reports suggest that former Gooner Marc Overmars is a possible name that could be considered by the club and it is certainly an intriguing prospect. Overmars is someone who has excelled in the role at Ajax and would bring continuity to the club with Wenger absent. When asked about his relation to his former club, Overmars was glowing in his response:

"“I still love Arsenal and that is the same for my wife and two children. It’s the process of the club which makes me proud to have been involved in it. It’s very important that there are still people working for Arsenal who were there 20 or 25 years ago. Ken Friar, who I know really well because in my time at Arsenal he was on the Board of Directors, is still involved in the club in a way and that keeps a culture. I like traditions and I have respect for the past.”"

The continuity that Overmars would bring during a time that would initiate great change and uncertainty would be vital. While the later years in Wenger’s tenure have been turbulent at best, there are still many practices that should be continued long after his departure.

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A presence like Overmars as sporting director would help ensure that Wenger’s ideals persist; that Wenger’s principles continue and that his approaches are protected. The future requires change but there is still a need to honour what has been positive from the past, and Overmars would do just that.