Ivan Gazidis met the higher-ups at Real Madrid in August 2013 with the intention of signing one player – Ángel Di María. The Spanish club would not sell and, what was more, they told the Arsenal chief executive he could not have anybody. Then Gazidis’s stars aligned. Over at the Real training pitches the club’s new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, told Mesut Özil he would not be assured of a starting place. Özil threw his toys and, rather abruptly, Gazidis was told he could take the Germany superstar, which he did. Unai Emery’s grasp of detail can succeed at Arsenal after PSG problems Read more Gazidis is fond of telling the story because it has plenty of zesty ingredients, not least...
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