Former Arsenal chief opens up on his time at the club

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·7 ottobre 2025

Former Arsenal chief opens up on his time at the club

Arsenal’s former head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat, has reflected on his relatively brief spell in north London. After spending 11 years with Borussia Dortmund, Mislintat was appointed by Arsenal in 2017. Renowned for spotting talents such as Ousmane Dembélé and Alexander Isak at Dortmund, he played a crucial role in bringing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira to the Emirates.

Mislintat left the club after just 14 months in 2019. Following his departure, he went on to serve as VfB Stuttgart’s sporting director from 2019 to 2022, had a short spell with Ajax in 2023, and has since returned to Borussia Dortmund.

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Mislintat on challenges during his Arsenal tenure

In a recent interview with Kicker, Mislintat explained the challenges that unsettled his time at Arsenal. He said:

“When I was at Arsenal, billions hadn’t been invested there like in previous years. Nevertheless, the team we put together reached the Europa League final and later won the cup. What changed a lot for me was that Arsène Wenger and the then CEO Ivan Gazidis, who had brought me in, left London within a short space of time. Arsène stepped down as manager eight months after my arrival, and Ivan accepted an offer from Milan shortly afterwards. A completely new structure was formed and on top of that, England was facing Brexit. I could have stayed but as a family, we decided not to take the risk of a complete move with the children under those circumstances and to see what opportunities might arise in Germany.”

Despite his involvement in the high-profile signing of Aubameyang, several other recruits during his tenure, including Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner, failed to make a lasting impact. While those signings evoke mixed memories among Arsenal fans, it is important to consider the challenging environment Mislintat faced towards the end of his time at the club.

Arsenal’s progress since the Mislintat era

Since that turbulent period, Arsenal have transformed themselves into one of the top clubs in world football. After navigating the difficult final years of Arsène Wenger’s reign and the transition under Unai Emery, the Gunners have undergone a cultural and structural overhaul. The changes have extended beyond the squad to the backroom staff, executive positions, and overall club identity, laying the foundations for the success now seen under Mikel Arteta.

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Benjamin Kenneth

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