After Tim Lewis exit, Stan Kroenke now has ‘cutthroat’ £1bn Arsenal masterplan

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After two years as executive vice-chairman and five years as a board member, Tim Lewis has left Arsenal after being informed that he would not continue as vice-chair.

Tim Lewis was offered a non-executive position instead, but the 62-year-old declined what would have been a clear demotion.

Arsenal’s reshuffle continues the trend of Josh Kroenke’s growing involvement at the club, and Stan’s son is now often seen around the training ground and attending games.

But in terms of the financial implications of Lewis leaving Arsenal, TBR Football’s head of football finance Adam Williams has now explained the potential rationale for his exit. 

Lewis has been Stan Kroenke’s man for some time, but Arsenal are now heading in a new direction, one for which he was seemingly deemed somewhat surplus to requirements.

Stan Kroenke has relied on Tim Lewis’ expertise for several years

Initially discussing Lewis’ exit, Williams shared: “The departure of Lewis in and of itself is highly significant.

“He has been a very positive force at Arsenal and his leadership has got them out of a rut and into a position where 2nd place in the Premier League isn’t considered good enough, as well as overseeing booming commercial revenues.

“He was Kroenke’s man on the ground at Arsenal. He advised on his initial share purchase in 2007 and on the full takeover from Usmanov thereafter.

“There was a quote of his that always stuck out for me: ‘Trust is a short word. If you’re a multi-billionaire, it’s a big word.’ The Kroenkes trusted him. They didn’t need to be breathing down his neck and their visions were aligned.

“In terms of modern Arsenal history, there are very few who have had the same kind of impact.”

READ MORE: Arsenal discover PSR fate after £324m Stan Kroenke gift challenged by Man City

Tim Lewis wasn’t afraid to ‘speak truth’ during his time at Arsenal

Lewis wasn’t just impactful internally at Arsenal, the lifelong Gunners supporter was also a strong voice across the Premier League.

As Williams continued to explain: “Lewis has also been an outspoken force at Premier League governance level, pushing back against state ownership and so forth. 

“And while I’m not under any illusions that his stance on that particular issue is born of self-interest, I think the game needs people like Lewis, who aren’t afraid to speak truth to power.

“He had a run-in with the minister for sport earlier this year too. Lewis was one of the guys that the Premier League wheeled out like a battering ram when they needed to fight fires, like when they were pushing back on the independent football regulator. He was the right man at the right time for Arsenal.

“But all that said, I think it’s the right time for change. They have appointed a number of new directors who clearly have a lot of high-level business acumen in a diverse range of fields.”

The Kroenkes are aiming for Arsenal to become a £1bn revenue club

Unfortunately for Lewis, he had limited commercial experience, explaining why he might not have fit the Kroenke’s plans for Arsenal to become a £1bn revenue club.

Williams continued: “They want to further commercialise the business, which I know is the kind of phrase that will make a bedrock Arsenal fan’s skin crawl, but the reality is that they need to continue to grow revenues to compete on the pitch.

“Until there is some kind of salary cap implemented, or unless the new PSR proposals on the agenda have the desired effect, that’s the situation we’re in.

“Lewis was a lawyer by trade and had limited commercial experience. Yes, he’s done a brilliant job, but you risk a state of inertia if you don’t get the right leadership for the right moment.

“The aim for Arsenal is to be a £1bn revenue club, and they are going to need to be cutthroat to get there.”

READ MORE: Stan Kroenke beats four Premier League club owners to £8bn boost, Arsenal’s takeover destiny laid bare

Stan Kroenke’s Denver Nuggets ruthlessness might be an omen for future Arsenal calls

Of course, the goal for Arsenal as a club is to start winning the trophies that Mikel Arteta’s football arguably deserves.

But once that happens, Williams thinks the Kroenkes could see it as a licence to begin to make some ‘unpopular choices’ in north London.

“They will make some decisions the real fans do not like – that’s the unfortunate trade-off of supporting an ultra-elite club: you’re forced to swallow the naked commercialisation of your team in exchange for new signings and insane wages.

“Josh Kroenke has shown he is capable of being ruthless in some of his dealings with the Denver Nuggets. Look at the situation involving Michael Malone, the head coach there, for example.

“They’ll probably win something soon, and after that I’d expect them to use the credit they have in the bank to start making more unpopular choices.”