It’s been a rumour that has gathered pace over the last few days and according to a former agent, Ivan Gazidis will join AC Milan as their executive director very soon.
This will be music to the ears of many Arsenal supporters who have struggled to accept the South African since his arrival in 2008. He has been accused of a lack of passion towards the side, which is a complete contrast to his business dealings.
He has, however, been responsible for ensuring a number of lucrative deals which helped to pay off Arsenal’s stadium debts of £360 million and been responsible for the transitional period between Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery.
He has also completely restructured the technical side of the club, a revolution that included the additions of Raul Sanllehi as head of football operations, Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment and Darren Burgess as head of high performance.
Bad memories within football fans far outweigh any good ones and the bad taste left by Gazidis over his inept contract negotiations and the failure to stop Arsenal’s decline is still fresh in the mind.
Along with the clubs owner Stan Kroenke, Gazidis has been accused of caring more about the brand than the performances and achievements. Since 2004, Arsenal haven’t been in the reckoning for any of footballs major trophies and have quietly become also-rans.
His move to AC Milan will be welcomed by the majority of Arsenal supporters but has yet to be confirmed by the club.
It looks like it could be another hectic period for the North London club. They may have to replace the CEO, which looks certain to be Kroenke’s son, Josh and there may be the small matter of the potential sale of Alisher Usmanov’s shares.
The Russian has been reported to be keen to sell his stake in the club which is no more than a savings account. Usmanov has no input or influence within the club and wants to reinvest his capital in another premier league club.
