What Sanllehi's arrival would mean for Arsenal after Mislintat capture

Sven Mislintat's arrival will not be the last major addition to Arsenal's technical staff as Ivan Gazidis continues to shake things up behind the scenes at the Emirates.

Mislintat was unveiled as Arsenal's NEWS head of record it me nt on Monday, ending an eight-year stay with Borussia Dortmund.

The 45-year-old's capture is seen a major coup for the Gunners, with Mislintat known for his 'diamond eye' having been credited with bringing stars such as Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele to the Westfalenstadion.

And he could soon be followed by another high profile addition with Arsenal closing in on the appointment of a sporting director.

Sven Mislintat

Arsenal building a future without Wenger
Mislintat's 8 best signings for Dortmund
Arsenal statement
Why he left Dortmund

At present it is believed Mislintat will report to Gazidis, but Arsenal's chief executive is looking to bring in someone to head up the techincal department as he looks to push through with his now infamous 'catalyst for change' statement.

Dortmund's Michael Zorc has been tipped to follow Mislintat to north London, but the Bundesliga side have dismissed those reports as 'rumours'.

Raul Sanllehi is favourite to take the role, with the current director of football at Barcelona entering the final stages of his contract at the Camp Nou.

The fact he is leaving the Catalan giants is no secret, it’s been expected for months - and reports in Spain claim that Sanllehi will take up a role at the Emirates.

The reports state that the 48-year-old will be Arsenal’s new director of operations.

Sanllehi - a close friend of Gazidis - is a hugely respected figure in Spanish football and there’s no doubt he would bring a lot to the technical set up behind the scenes in north London.

Working alongside Wenger and Mislintat, he would be key in terms of recruitment, but his skill set stretches further than just the transfer market.

He is seen as being a key figure in Barcelona’s growth commercially in recent years off the pitch, while also helping get some big transfers over the line - including Neymar’s move from Santos.

Sanllehi arrived at Barcelona from Nike in 2007 and still has strong links with the American sports brand, He is also close with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.

With the recent club accounts showing that Arsenal are still lagging way behind their rivals in terms of commercial revenue, the appointment of someone like Sanllehi could help them narrow that gap due to his extensive contacts.

In recent years he has taken on a more prominent role in the transfer business at the Camp Nou - with the South American market his main focus.

He played a significant in role in the hugely complicated deal that took Neymar to Spain, flying to Brazil to negotiate personally with the player and his father.

Sanllehi, who speaks fluent English, is also seen a having been key in the deal that saw Alexis Sanchez sign for Barcelona from Udinese in 2011.

There are suggestions in Spain that the reason he has decided to leave his role with the La Liga leaders is due to his unhappiness at Neymar’s shock exit to Paris Saint Germain in the summer.

Contract negotiations are another area of Sanllehi’s expertise and his fresh approach could be seen as a late opportunity for Arsenal to reach a breakthrough with Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, with both players in the final months of their current deals.

Should he follow Mislintat to the Emirates, he will complete Gazidis' restructuring behind the scenes which has been a project the American has been working on since the end of last season.

Huss Fahmy joined from Team Sky cycling in the summer and has taken over responsibility for player contracts, with Dick Law stepping down from his role at the end of the season.

How can Arsenal prepare for a future without Arsene Wenger? Let us know in the comments below.