Arsenal’s newly appointed recruitment expert Sven Mislintat admits he is facing high expectations at the Emirates Stadium.
The former Borussia Dortmund talent-spotter, credited with discovering the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has been poached by the Gunners to front up their scouting.
Speaking about his new job he said there will be fans and those in the media who will expect him to uncover a Dembele in every transfer window, and that there is a lot of pressure on him in his new role.
Mislintat told Kicker: ‘Going by the press in England and Germany, they expect me to sign a Dembele in each transfer window. I’m being put on an incredibly high pedestal.’
The German worked for 10 mostly successful years at Dortmund, however he left the club after falling out with previous manager Thomas Tuchel.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke later admitted he regretted the fall-out, and he even said the club had treated Mislintat ‘like a leper’.
Mislintat says he has no hard feelings over leaving Dortmund, although he too is saddened by how his time at the club came to a close.
He said: ‘There were many things in that time that I would have preferred to do without, and the same goes for Thomas Tuchel too, probably. In the end it damaged us all.
‘I’m not mad at anyone, on the contrary, I find it extremely brave what Watzke said at the membership and shareholder meeting. To take responsibility in a difficult phase for the club has my greatest respect.’
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