Ivan Gazidisgetty images
Manager Unai Emery "is reinventing Arsenal on the pitch, but the man who set the wheels of change in motion -- and who was at the heart of the last few seasons' palace intrigue -- is on his way out," according to Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN.com. Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal's CEO since Jan. '09, "is on the verge of leaving" the club "to take a similar job at AC Milan." While the "power struggle at Arsenal was never quite as binary as some made out," there is a "certain irony" to the fact that Gazidis, the "last man standing" after former Manager Arsène Wenger "decamped the club, should now opt to move on." Gazidis' name "was first linked to the Serie A club in mid-July after it was taken over by Elliott Management." AC Milan President Paolo Scaroni "was asked directly about Gazidis" and replied, "There is no rush and we don't want to rush Elliott. There is no deadline. Let's just say the problem will be resolved within a couple weeks." Yet sources in Italy, London and the U.S. -- where Arsenal majority Owner Stan Kroenke is based -- confirmed Gazidis "has been negotiating his exit from Arsenal." The process "is far from straightforward given the nature of his contract," but one source said that he expected it to be a matter of "weeks, if not days." Arsenal Dir of Communications Mark Gonnella said that "no decision has been made and when it is made the club will let everybody know." Elliott Management "has reportedly sounded out other candidates for the role," such as AS Roma CEO Umberto Gandini, who previously spent 23 years at AC Milan "during the Berlusconi era." What "still does not add up" is why Gazidis would find the AC Milan offer "so tempting." Contrary to reports in England, this is not "about money." Sources familiar with the situation insisted Gazidis' base salary "would not be substantially higher" -- in fact, it is "likely to be lower" -- at AC Milan. Gazidis "does have a decades-long relationship with Gordon Singer" -- the son of Elliott's founder, Paul Singer -- who heads the London office. And of course, it is "entirely possible that Gazidis simply relishes the challenge of restoring one of the biggest brands in world football back to its past glory" (ESPN.com, 9/17).
