Arsenal and Raul Sanllehi: Merit, not relationships

Arsenal are conducting their search for a new head coach. And there are growing whispers that head of football Raul Sanllehi will use his relationships to appoint the ‘right’ man. That would be very concerning indeed.

When Arsenal fired Unai Emery a little under a week ago, they conceded that they made a mistake. Upon Arsene Wenger forced resignation 18 months prior, the club committed themselves to a new era, one that they wanted led by Emery.

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But within two years of this new experiment, it was quite clear that Emery was not providing the progress that the club wanted. A lack of identity still persisted, the same defensive mistakes were present, and the results worsened, Emery actually leading the team to a poorer record in his first 50 games than Wenger did in his final 50 games.

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So now, Arsenal are back to square one, looking for a new head coach to initiate the post-Wenger era. As Manchester United have proven in the six years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, mastering the process of succession is not easy and the Gunners need to get their next appointment correct. With every wrong decision they make, the margin for error decreases.

It was Ivan Gazidis who appointed Emery. But within three months, the former chief executive departed, moving to AC Milan to begin a new project. Upon his exit, Raul Sanllehi eventually rose to lead a newly structured management team as Head of Football. Edu Gaspar would join him as Technical Director, while Vinai Venkatesham and Huss Fahmy also hold some influence, but this is Sanllehi’s ship.

Quite how Sanllehi will manage Arsenal remains to be seen. He was a high-ranking executive at Barcelona, but their management processes are extremely shrouded and difficult to decipher. There is little to be gleaned about his working style from his time in Catalunia.

However, there have been plenty of reports that Sanllehi relies on his contacts and relationships. He likes the underhand conversations in shrouded corridors. That is where he does his business. This, after all, is a major reason why Sven Mislintat moved on shortly after arriving as Head of Recruitment, the former Borussia Dortmund chief scout frustrated with how the club was managed behind the scenes.

And these reports are corroborated by the names that Arsenal have been linked with to succeed Emery. Nuno Espirito Santo and super-agent Jorge Mendes are reportedly in the frame from Wolves, while on Tuesday, Goal report that former Valencia manager Marcelino is also in the running. Sanllehi is pulling his strings.

Whether these managers deserve the job or not is difficult to say, but if Sanllehi is appointing them because he knows them and is friends with their agents, it is extremely concerning. Relationships are not a sufficient reason for hiring a head coach; these decisions must be based on merit, value, credibility and what they can provide in the job.

How Arsenal make the decision remains to be seen. This could well be a long, drawn-out, extended process. But it is important that Sanllehi and his meddling ways do not infect credible, progressive analysis. Merit should be the basis of the decision, not relationships.