Arsenal promote football analyst Ben Knapper to newly created Loan Manager role
Knapper, formerly the club's senior football analyst, has been handed a new role
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Arsenal have promoted senior football analyst Ben Knapper to the newly created position of Loans Manager.
Knapper, who first joined Arsenal from sports data and technology company Prozone in July 2010, will work closely with director of football Raul Sanllehi and academy manager Per Mertesacker in deciding which players should be allowed to depart the club on loan.
He will also play a key role in monitoring those players who have left the club. Arsenal currently have seven players out on loan, including the highly-rated Reiss Nelson, who has scored six goals in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim this season.
Knapper’s promotion, as well as the creation of the new Loans Manager role first reported by Training Ground Guru, lays bare just how important the loan system has become in English football.
Bournemouth recently appointed ex-midfielder Carl Fletcher as their loan player manager, while Chelsea – who currently have no fewer than 39 players out on loan – have two former players, Tore Andre Flo and Paulo Ferreira, working in the same capacity.
This has been a season of revolution for Arsenal both on and off the pitch, as the club continue to adjust to life without Arsene Wenger and long-serving CEO Ivan Gazidis.
Sanllehi left his role as head of football operations to become the club’s director of football in the wake of Gazidis’ departure, with Vinai Venkatesham becoming managing director.
Sven Mislintat had earlier joined from Borussia Dortmund to become head of recruitment, working closely with new contract negotiator Huss Fahmy, formerly of Team Sky.
Away from home
The seven Arsenal players out on loan
Takuma Asano (Hannover 96, Germany)
Krystian Bielik (Charlton)
Calum Chambers (Fulham)
Matt Macey (Plymouth)
Reiss Nelson (Hoffenheim, Germany)
Kelechi Nwakali (Porto, Portugal)
David Ospina (Napoli, Italy)
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