Report: Arsenal insiders really think one board member could be promoted to become the club's new chairman

By Shamanth Jayaram

According to The Athletic, Arsenal board member Tim Lewis could become the club’s new chairman in the near future.

The Gunners have made a lot of internal changes over the last three years. Ivan Gazidis left the club, which is when Raul Sanllehi and Sven Mislintat took control. Then, the latter walked away, leaving the Spaniard to be the man calling all the shots at the Emirates.

That didn’t last long either as in August 2020, Sanllehi left Arsenal and was replaced by now CEO Vinao Venkatesham. Edu and Mikel Arteta became the key men behind all footballing decisions, and that has mostly worked well for the Gunners since.

One man who has been around since the changes began is Lewis, who has now become increasingly influential at the club.

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Tim Lewis could become the new Arsenal chairman

Since Sir Chips Keswick resigned as the Arsenal Chairman almost two years ago, the position has been vacant.

The Kroenkes viewed the role of a chairman as obsolete after they became the sole owners of the club. While that still remains the case, the report claims that insiders at Arsenal now believe Lewis could be handed that position.

Lewis, a lawyer, is reportedly a life-long Arsenal fan and has had a relationship with the Korenkes for over 15 years now. He joined the Arsenal board in July 2020 as a non-executive member, and he has been ever-present since.

An official decision hasn’t been made yet, but the report claims that it’s not inconceivable that Lewis could inherit the post of Arsenal chairman in the near future.

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The man behind Mikel Arteta’s new contract

The report claims that since his appointment a little under two years ago, Lewis has forged a very strong relationship with Mikel Arteta at London Colney.

He is also said to be a frequent visitor and is a link of sorts between the Arsenal manager and the ownership.

It has also been claimed that Lewis was instrumental in Arteta signing a new contract last week.

The Spaniard extended his deal until the summer of 2025 and Lewis was reportedly a ‘key figure in the dialogue surrounding the nature and terms of the contract’.

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