Barcelona sporting director Raül Sanllehí may leave the club for fresh pastures
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With the departure of Richard Law, Arsenal are left without a negotiator. Ivan Gazidis’ executive team is short of one of its most important members. Law was crucial in bringing Mesut Özil and Alexis Sánchez to the Emirates.
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Now that he has left, Arsenal are searching for his replacement. Their shortlist narrowed down to Ajax sporting director and ex-Gunner Marc Overmars and his Barcelona counterpart Raül Sanllehí. But the latest reports from Spain suggest that Sanllehí is the frontrunner for the job.
Following that up was a report from the Sun claiming that an agreement between the Gunners and Sanllehí was already in place.
But this is not good news for Barca. While Sanllehí’s decision to look for a new job may have been triggered by criticism from the fans and the media about his performance in the summer transfer window, it should not have been sufficient to displace him from a club he has been attached to for 15 years.
Despite his poor performance last summer, Raül Sanllehí retains his lobbying skills. He negotiated deals for the likes of Neymar, David Villa, Luis Suárez and Cesc Fàbregas. Although he was helped by Andoni Zubizarreta and Robert Fernandez, he played an important role in the talks.
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But it seems like Barcelona have to content themselves. Ivan Gazidis shares a good relationship with Sanllehí, and he might have successfully lured him to Arsenal. Now, Barcelona may have to start looking for a replacement.