Arnesen move could be Swansea chairman’s latest masterstroke
Published:Ladbrokes have reacted to the news that former PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham and Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen has left a similar role at Bundesliga side Hamburg by installing Premier League Swansea City as 4/1 joint-second favourites to be his next club.
The only team currently shorter-priced than the Swans in the betting is the Danish national side.
Arnesen has shunned manager roles in his career since his days as assistant manager at PSV Eindhoven, preferring to work in the sphere of player sourcing and recruitment, so it’s unlikely that he would come in as a straight replacement for City boss Michael Laudrup.
Laudrup’s strong performance since his arrival at the Liberty Stadium has seen him make a dent in the upper echelons of the next manager betting markets for Everton, Chelsea and Real Madrid to name but three.
However it could just be that recruiting Arnesen to oversee and organise Laudrup’s already astute player recruitment could be the latest masterstroke by Swans chairman Huw Jenkins.
Brendan Rodgers and most particularly Roberto Martinez have played a huge part in Swansea’s development from League One also-rans to top flight incumbents, but Jenkins has been a constant throughout that period of change and has yet to misfire with his managerial-level hiring.
City have brought in a range of useful professionals under Laudrup, with runaway hit Michu just one of a number of success stories that also includes Pablo Hernandez, Jonathan De Guzman and Chico Flores.
Arnesen is known chiefly for his ability to spot young talent destined for the top and this an area in which Swansea – who are hardly Hulk Hogans when it comes to muscle of the financial kind – must look to improve if they are to become an established Premier League force.
The long-term injury to full-back Neil Taylor gave Swans youngster Ben Davies a chance to shine which he took with great assurance, but precious few other young players have pushed for a concerted breakthrough under Laudrup this term.
With Arnesen credited for discovering the likes of Romario, Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben he could be the ideal man to bring through the next generation of talented youngsters at the Liberty Stadium.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publication
