OPINION
Arsene Wenger must change his view and allow Arsenal to appoint a director of football this summer.
Arsenal looked likely to make the controversial decision to hire a director of football at the club, yet a recent report in the Evening Standard has claimed that this will no longer take place.
Instead, the report states that the club will make a new appointment to their backroom staff, however, the role will remain less senior than manager Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal saved a dismal 2016/17 campaign with their third FA Cup triumph in four years after the club finished the season in fifth place and without a Champions League spot, which makes it emphatically clear that now would be a greater time than ever to appoint a director.
Wenger remains strictly against the appointment and the Frenchman most likely believes that he should remain at the helm when eyeing and swooping in on potential signings.
Appointing a director of football would bring a fresh outlook on the squad’s summer transfer window, and the role will allow a new professional to pick new players while Wenger would coach and manage the team.
This would be the best option for the club, as Wenger isn’t well-known for busy and successful transfer windows, and it would finally engage the fans once again.
By hiring a sporting director everybody wins as Wenger would be able to remain in charge of the team, much to the dismay of fans, while Arsenal supporters would still get to see a new senior figure take control of the signings, and new signings are exactly what the club need to win the Premier League next season.
Despite Wenger’s stubborn outlook, the new position would alleviate some of the pressure currently on the 67-year-old as the appointment would most likely act as an intermediary between the Gunners boss and the board.
Undoubtably the Arsenal boss and the new appointment would have to be on the same wavelength in order to avoid tension.
An example where this relationship works is at Manchester City with director Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola as the pair used to play together at Barcelona, and have since been able to create a dynamic partnership.
City have already signed two new players during the transfer window after scooping Monaco’s Bernardo Silva and Benefica keeper Ederson.