Via Jeremy Wilson in the Telegraph comes news that Arsenal have appointed a former legal expert with Team Sky to help with player contracts.
Huss Fahmy, whose profile is still on the website of the cycling team, started with the club last week and will, according to the report, focus on legal issues surrounding player contracts.
Presumably these would be things like image rights, release clauses, commercial aspects and beyond.
Arsenal have a clutch of players entering the final year of their contracts, including Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Wojciech Szczesny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs.
Sorting out their situations, as well as looking after player recruitment and departures, means there’s a lot to do this summer, so having more hands on deck can’t be a bad thing, and if the former Team Sky man can provide an injection of know-how and urgency to matters then we might see some more speedy resolutions.
We also particularly enjoyed this bit:
His arrival at Arsenal is a further signal that chief executive Ivan Gazidis is delivering on his promise to bring change this summer in the ongoing search for best practice following the disappointment of finishing only fifth in the Premier League.
Nice one, Ivan 😉
The news comes in the wake of reports over the weekend that a significant addition is being made to the fitness staff. Darren Burgess will join the club from AFL side Port Adelaide, the details of that deal and of a link-up between the clubs can be read here.
So far there has only been one player brought in, Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac, after Arsene Wenger said he was looking for a maximum of three new men for his squad.
A Bosnian, a physio and a lawyer walk into a bar…
You, sir, won the Internet today! Congrats! 😀
Exciting
Premiership
Opportunity…
All of them are mean cunts and that’s what we need.
That summer when Arsenal sign everyone but a striker…
Just frisk him for EPO on the way in please.
Energetic
Physical
Out-and-out striker?
Let’s hope he brings EPO.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, you meant I think ?
Does he know anything about impeachments?
OK. But does he have to look like the newest member of Donald Trump’s cabinet?
Well then, three signings already. Guess we’re done for the summer
Really? That bit about (aka by) Ivan Gazidis was included in the issued statement? Good lord he really can be a complete knob with an overly inflated opinion of self worth at times.
No, just in Wilson’s Telegraph article.
This feels more like watered down version of his so called change he was clammoring about
I tell you what, if this guy is anywhere near as good as Denny Crane & Alan Shore at litigation then we’re gonna be a very attractive club for any player from now on, regardless of where we finish!
“Denny Crane”
What’s my name?
mbappe,aubameyang, Lacazette?
aubameyang all day long for me. Don’t think we are even in the hunt for him
I completely agree with you. But it appears we’re in the minority.
Whats the point of speaking about aubameyang.he wont join us.he want real.mbappe monaco dont want to sell him except for ridiculous price lacazette is the only avalaible target as A.madrid ban.and i dont think he is that good.and we can get him only of he doesnt want to wait 6 month to join spain as he say he want to join the before the ban
lol. Cynics when we do something, cynics when we don’t do something, cynics when we try to do something ……
Sounds like Arsenal are getting serious. No more amateurs embarrassing us in contract negotiations. 40 mill + £1? FFS.
That’s about deal negotiation, not lawyer work.
I hate to say it, but this summer is lining up like the last 10. I hope I’m wrong, but repeated prior experience says I won’t be.
Wait what was wrong with last summer? Or really the two before it as well…?
The window hasn’t even opened yet, hold your horses with the moaning.
This is the ambition everyone has been asking for. We’re surely winning the champions league next season!
I’m encouraged.Multi million pound business recruits lawyer to deal with contracts. Groundbreaking.
It looks as if the deal with Port Adelaide for Darren Burgess rested upon Arsenal wanting him to start immediately, even though the AFL season is still under way (and him still being under contract). Should PA reach the finals, he will return to Australia in September for the duration of their involvement. He will also return in October/November to supervise their pre season. He will also be involved in the recruitment process for his successor at Alberton. It’s been suggested (in Oz), that Port Adelaide have received perhaps more compensation than they were entitled to. This seems odd, given… Read more »
By far the fittest team the world has ever seen.
All I would say is that if you work for a company that starts “down the road” adopting “best practice” principles (usually HR stuff) then everything takes a lot longer.