Arsenal’s off-field overhaul has gathered pace with the appointment direct from professional cycling of Team Sky’s legal and commercial expert Huss Fahmy to work on player contracts.

Fahmy has been a key part of Team Sky’s operation since around its inception in 2010 after moving to Sky the previous year from the City where he worked for the multi-national law firm Herbert Smith.

His arrival at Arsenal is a further signal that chief executive Ivan Gazidis is delivering on his promise to bring change this summer in the ongoing search for best practice following the disappointment of finishing only fifth in the Premier League.

Fitness expert Darren Burgess will also join Arsenal next month in a new role as director of high performance after his appointment was personally agreed by manager Arsene Wenger.

Burgess, 43, is currently working in Australian Rules Football with Port Adelaide and also worked previously at Liverpool with Brendan Rodgers as the club’s head of fitness and conditioning from 2010 until 2013. He is described by Kane Cornes, who worked with him at Port Adelaide as “a genius” and his role at Arsenal will focus on medicine, fitness, psychology and performance analysis, as well as working with the academy.