Gazidis OUT and now Mislintat... the revolving doors in chaotic Arsenal hierachy

When Arsene Wenger left Arsenal after 22 years in charge, there was a concerted effort to revolutionise the structure behind the scenes.

Wenger had ruled with total autonomy on the football side for the majority of his reign but prior to his departure to AC Milan, chief executive Ivan Gazidis brought in Raul Sanllehi from Barcelona as head of football relations and Sven Mislintat from Borussia Dortmund as head of recruitment.

American billionaire Stan Kroenke steers the ship having bought out Alisher Usmanov's stake in 2017 and with the help of son Josh, is the biggest player with the overriding say on the big financial decisions.

The decision to split roles up was viewed as one that would ease the pressure on the manager, allowing him to focus on his squad and upcoming matches.

But the revolution has not quite gone as smooth as expected with Mislintat growing disillusioned just 14 months into the job.

With Mislintat the first of the new wave to leave the club following confirmation of his departure on Monday, Sportsmail looks at who is part of the structure off the pitch and the roles each of them play.

Head of Football - Raul Sanllehi

Appointed in November 2017, as head of football relations, the former Barcelona director was a top-level appointment from the club.

Gazidis' plan was to partner him with Mislintat to form a heavyweight duo covering recruitment and negotiations.

Sanllehi has pedigree having been director of football at Barcelona since 2008.

The main focus of his job at the Nou Camp was securing player transfers and he played a pivotal role in bringing Neymar to the club in 2013.

With Mislintat departed after failing to gel with Sanllehi, he is a vital player and will be the driving force in the selection process of a technical director.

With the club handing him the keys to the top job, Sanllehi is in charge of sorting contracts, finances and transfers.

Technical director - AVAILABLE

With the continual reworking of the structure behind the scenes, a technical director is the next role Arsenal are keen to fill.

Sanllehi, it is understood, wants to appoint the club's first-ever technical director to oversee the football operation, assuming responsibility for defining the club's style of play and intake of youth.

Mislintat was believed to have been keen on the role and given his nickname of 'Diamond Eye' at Borussia Dortmund, may have felt aggrieved to have been overlooked.

But former Gunners midfielder Edu is the leading contender to be given the position.

Managing Director - Vinai Venkatesham

Along with Sanllehi, Vinai Venkatesham stepped forward to front the new era with Gazidis making the switch to AC Milan.

Venkatesham is far from a new face around the Emirates having been working behind the scenes since joining as the head of global partnerships in March 2010.

That was a role that Venkatesham stayed in until June 2013 before becoming the club's director of global partnerships and business strategy. In the November he became sales and marketing director.

A former consultancy expert and oil trader, Venkatesham boasts a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford.

Any fears over his capabilities to succeed in his latest role can be eased by assessing his work as commercial manager for the London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee.

He oversaw negotiations for sponsors, hospitality, broadcasting and merchandising with brands including BT, Adidas, Cadbury, Channel 4, Prestige Hospitality, Adecco and Thomas Cook.

Head of Recruitment - AVAILABLE

Mislintat was considered a major coup for the Gunners when Gazidis, in one of his final acts, was able to entice the stats-based transfer guru to north London.

Involved in the eight signings the club have made since Unai Emery took charge, Mislintat was the key figure working with club scouts to head up recruitment policy.

He was one of three men who helped select Emery as Wenger's successor but now only Sanllehi remains at the club.

Reports on Mislintat and his position as Head of Recruitment suggest he became marginalised following Gazidis' departure and his influence behind the scenes was growing limited.

Ajax chief Marc Overmars, who played for the club between 1997 and 2000, has been sounded out as a potential replacement although he may prefer to come in as the technical director.

Head of international recruitment - Francis Cagigao

Cagigao is a long-standing member of the club's scouting department and the departure of Mislintat is likely to see his influence grow.

He started out as one of a number of scouts but has since climbed the ladder to head up international recruitment.

Contracted until 2020, Arsenal will be keen to tie him down having already lost Mislintat.

His Spanish connections have been particularly effective previously having been the driving force behind deals to bring in Cesc Fabregas, Hector Bellerin and Santi Cazorla.

Attracting interest from top sides in Spain, Cagigao's work will see him inundated with job offers and should he go, it would see the two main figures on the recruitment side slip through the net.

Academy Manager - Per Mertesacker

Having hung up his boots last season, the towering German defender was appointed as the head of the club's academy.

While his impact could take years to fully be appreciated, Mertesacker's job is no less important on the football side.

The 34-year-old is tasked with ensuring Arsenal’s history of getting their best youngsters into the first team continues.

Emile Smith Rowe, Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah are three to already taste life in the first team under Emery and Mertesacker will be ambitious to see more make the transition.

With transfer fees rocketing for players at all ages, successfully generating elite level players through the academy could prove to be the most vital role of all.

Head Coach - Unai Emery

For all the hard work of those behind the scenes, the buck ultimately stops with Emery to bring success on the pitch.

The departure of Mislintat will be a blow given Emery had established a working relationship with the former Borussia Dortmund man.

He admitted this month the club are restricted to loan signings and will hope those above him free up more funds to him for a rebuild in the summer.

Mislintat's decision to leave just after the close of the January transfer window is likely to majorly hamper plans for moves in the winter window and Emery will be keen to see the club get the house in order as he battles to secure Champions League football for next season.

While a big piece of the puzzle, Emery is required to work within the parameters of his role as head coach. Unlike Wenger, the former Sevilla and PSG boss does not have total autonomy on all aspects of the football side.