Newcastle United could appoint former Arsenal chief | OneFootball

Former Arsenal Chief Executive Officer Vinai Venkatesham is in the running to become the new Newcastle United CEO, according to the Daily Mail.

The 43-year-old left the Gunners this summer to pursue a new challenge, and he could now return to the Premier League in the coming weeks.

Newcastle announced in September that chief executive Darren Eales would be stepping down from his position after he was diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer.

Venkatesham could succeed him, with the Magpies conducting a thorough recruitment process using external specialists to make an eventual appointment.

The former Arsenal chief joined the Gunners as their head of global partnerships, becoming managing director in 2018 after Ivan Gazidis left for AC Milan and then their CEO in 2020.

The British-Indian football administrator also worked as their former chief commercial officer and played a key role in helping to develop their women’s team.

He is a non-executive director at the British Olympic Association and is highly regarded across the football industry.

He holds seats on UEFA’s club competitions committee and the European Club Association board.

Venkatesham also worked on the London 2012 Olympic Games and has a solid commercial background.

Newcastle could utilise his skills as a qualified management accountant and it will be intriguing to see whether he is picked for the role.