Venkatesham ‘impatient’ to get Arsenal back to top

Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham has revealed his desire for the club to be competing to win the Premier League and Champions League and admitted he is “impatient” to get them back where they belong.

Raul Sanllehi left his role as head of football on Saturday in a move which will see manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu lead the Gunners’ transfer strategy.

Venkatesham, the most senior football figure at director level, discussed the changes at the Emirates and unveiled his plans for the future in an interview on the official club website.

“We know we’re not where we want to be and we are impatient, because we want to get to where we want to be, as quickly as we possibly can,” he said.

“Our objectives are to be back competing for and winning the biggest trophies in the game and if you’re Arsenal Football Club and if you’re in the Premier League, there’s two trophies that really matter and that’s the Premier League trophy and the Champions League trophy.

“That has to be the objectives of a football club like Arsenal. It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be straightforward, there’s a whole load of competition but that has to be the objective for this football club.”

Sanllehi was thanked by Venkatesham for his service to the Gunners, who he joined from Barcelona in September 2017.

His departure is understood to be part of the club wanting to streamline their off-field structure and Arteta and Edu have already clinched Arsenal’s first signing of the summer in the shape of Willian on a free from Chelsea.

“We have, in Edu and Mikel, two individuals who are responsible for our technical plan,” Venkatesham said.

“Of course, [that is] overseen by me and the board, but those two are the experts and they have a very, very clear plan about how they want to rebalance our squad in the short term, in the medium term and in the long term.”