With the transfer window now open in most countries, there will be pressure on many club’s directors of football and scouts to find and secure that transfer gem to turn a club’s fortunes around.
Arsenal’s man with the plan is Edu Gaspar, a Brazilian with experience working in the South American market mostly for Corinthians. This past summer ‘Edu’ worked with Mikel Arteta to secure the signatures of impressive stars Gabriel and Thomas Partey, but this January window he will have his work cut out in what could be one of the most difficult transfer windows Europe has ever seen.
Things could have been so different had one man had his way though, former head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat was hoping for a bigger role with more freedom and authority at Arsenal. History tells us Sven didn’t get his wish and was soon gone, realising the scenery was changing at Arsenal being more reliant on Raul Sanllehi’ contacts book of agents and clubs.
But what if he had stayed, what if Sven Mislintat had got his wish and had been able to form Arsenal in his own image? Its a question I’m sure many Arsenal fans think about from time to time.
Thankfully, we are able to see, to an extent, what it could have been like as he is now doing just that at Bundesliga side Stuttgart.
To find out more about Sven Mislintat at Stuttgart I spoke to impressive European football bloggers and podcasters, Top Bins Talk.
JH – On 2019 Feb 4th, Mislintat left Arsenal and not long after in April of that year he joined Stuttgart. What were the first things he did there which you feel were key to their success now?
TBT – Sven isn’t nicknamed “Diamond Eye’ for no reason. He built his reputation at Dortmund, working as Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand-man and unearthing gems such as Robert Lewandowski and Shinji Kagawa.
He joined Arsenal during a troubled period, and ended up leaving in quite hasty circumstances, yet still played a key role in bringing a number of new faces to the club. Some of the first signings he made at Stuttgart have only reiterated the potential role he could have played at Arsenal in bringing young, unearthed, under-the-radar talents to the club, and I’m sure it’s a departure the North London board are already regretting. Mislintat joined Stuttgart while the club were still in Bundesliga 2, and oversaw full scale changes in his first summer at the club (2019), with eleven first teamers leaving and nine coming in as well as a further three on loan.
The stand-out signings were Liverpool’s Nat Phillips on loan, as well as PSG academy player Tanguy Coulibaly and Paris FC’s Silas Wamangituka, who are now both two of the most exciting players in the Bundesliga.
JH – Sven Mislintat left Arsenal with his reputation, tarnished a little, do you feel he is restoring himself as one of the best in the game at recruitment?
TBT – 100%. The circumstances in which he joined Arsenal, and then hastily left, spoke volumes of the internal issues within the club, and most importantly, the stark difference in interests. There was a ton of unrest throughout the club, and that always made it difficult for Mislintat to assert his authority and have any chance of success. The signings he’s brought in at Stuttgart, their promotion in his first full season at the club, and their strong start to this season’s campaign all prove his value.
JH – How does his role at Stuttgart differ from the one he had at Arsenal?
TBT – I think he has more of a say at Stuttgart. It appeared that the difference of interests at Arsenal was that Mislintat’s requests and suggestions were often being ignored, or challenged, which left him unhappy. Working alongside ex-Premier League midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, the head of football at Stuttgart, has allowed Mislintat to really take the reins on Stuttgart’s recruitment.
JH – Are there any players in this current Stuttgart team that would improve Arsenal?
TBT – Silas Wamangituka is the player we’re most excited about (check out our scouting report on him!). He’s been playing as an auxiliary, all-action wing-back this season, but is naturally a forward or winger. Still just 21, he’s full of pace and energy, is an excellent dribbler, and has showcased a real eye for goal (with 7 already this season). Tanguy Coulibaly is 19 and a dribbling/take-on machine. He recently scored 2 vs. Dortmund. Wataru Endo and Orel Mangala are two midfielders we really like too. With Arsenal’s midfield options fairly lacking now, they could hypothetically get a look in, for sure.
JH – Finally with Sven Mislintat reasonably new at Stuttgart, do you feel they are a fair reflection of him and what he would have made Arsenal?
TBT – In all honesty, we really think under the right circumstances, with a settled board and without such frantic changes taking place around him, Mislintat would have been a massive success at Arsenal. Under a much smaller budget, while the club was in the 2nd division, Mislintat was able to bring in some exciting young talents at Stuttgart. Just imagine what he could have done with greater resources at Arsenal. It’s a shame, but a perfect example of being in the right place at the wrong time.
If you liked what you heard from these gentlemen, you can find them on twitter at @TopBinsTalk or their website https://topbinstalk.com/newsletter/ .
Guest piece by James Howson (@BigJimmy_V)