Arsene Wenger Set to Lose Key Member of Backroom Staff After Dreadful Transfer Window
Arsene Wenger is set to lose a key member to his Arsenal backroom staff as Dick Law has decided to step down from his role as chief transfer negotiator at the end of the month.
Law's future at the club had been in doubt for some time, however the Telegraph has now reported that he will step down from his role, leaving a big hole in Arsenal's recruitment structure after a difficult summer transfer window and ahead of what looks to be a hectic January transfer window.
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It is still yet to be decided whether Law will be replaced, with reports suggesting that former Team Sky legal and commercial expert Huss Fahmy may be hired to work on player contracts in the summer, however Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has now set up an office at the club's training ground, suggesting he intends to take a more hands-on role with the football operation.
It's been reported that Law is set to return to his native America for family reasons, bringing to an end what has been a lengthy partnership between Wenger and himself. They have worked alongside each other for the last eight years, and prior to that, Law was a scout for the club.
He was based in South America, and helped bring the likes of Gilberto Silva and Carlos Vela to the club. Although he wasn't given the official title, Law has acted as a director of football at Arsenal for a number of years by helping to clinch deals and negotiate with players and agents.
A prime example of this in action was the transfer of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. Law spoke to Ozil's father and agent at the time without alerting any of the Gunners' main rivals, and was able to secure a deal on deadline day worth around £42m.
Arsenal have begun the season with consecutive away defeats, including a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool, but Wenger has backed Gazidis’s assessment that the squad had enough strength to end what would be a 14-year wait to win a Premier League title.
