Crossing the north London divide is always controversial, although less so for executives than players or coaches.
Nonetheless, Vinai Venkatesham's appointment as Tottenham's new chief executive is intriguing, raising questions about the balance of boardroom power at the club.
Venkatesham, who spent 14 years at Arsenal in various roles including CEO, will join Spurs in the summer, reportedly with a responsibility for all operational matters, on and off the pitch.
While his appointment is unlikely to have any impact on chairman Daniel Levy's stranglehold on the club, it may spell change for chief football officer Scott Munn, who joined Spurs in April 2023 with a remit to take charge of all football departments.
Munn has worked behind the scenes with a limited public profile, but he has made a number of significant changes at Spurs, including overhauling the medical and sports science departments last summer.
Ange Postecoglou's squad have suffered an unprecedented injury crisis this season, leading to scrutiny on those changes.
There has been a high turnover of Spurs executives in recent seasons, with Fabio Paratici joining the club in June 2021 as director of football, only to resign two years later following a 30-month worldwide ban from working in football.
There is a chance that Venkatesham could be a public-facing figure, taking some of the onus for communications away from Postecoglou or his successor
The Italian has remained influential and close to Levy, continuing to advise the chairman on a consultancy basis, but the void he left at the club was effectively filled by Munn and Johan Lange, who took up the position of technical director in October 2023 after leaving Aston Villa.
Todd Kline joined the club at the same time as Paratici as chief commercial officer, tasked with securing a naming rights partner for the stadium, but left for Chelsea in February last year, having failed to do so. Kline was replaced by his No2, Ryan Norys, albeit in a retitled role.
Venkatesham spent more than a decade at Arsenal in six different roles, taking on the position of CEO in 2020.
His progress through the executive ranks coincided with a period of rejuvenation at the club, as well as the appointment of some key personnel such as Edu, Richard Garlick and Mikel Arteta.
Venkatesham, who was then managing director, was pictured outside Arteta’s Manchester home shortly before the Spaniard's appointment as head coach in December 2019.
He is seen as a highly-competent executive, who is expected to work closely with Levy and be involved in stakeholder management with bodies such as the Premier League and European Club Association (ECA), where he built relationships during his time at Arsenal.
Postecoglou has recently spoken out in frustration at the lack of voices defending Spurs inside and out of the club, aside from his own, and there is also a chance that Venkatesham could be a public-facing figure, taking some of the onus for communications away from the Australian or his successor. Levy dislikes attention and very rarely conducts interviews.
Venkatesham's appointment comes at a key time for Spurs, with Levy facing protests from supporters, hundreds of whom marched to the stadium calling for his head ahead of this year's home games against Manchester United and Southampton.
Levy also continues to seek outside investment in Spurs, likely in the form of a minority stake, and there have been links with prospective bidders from the Middle East.
