Arsenal are set to push ahead with plans to appoint a technical director even if the move prompts head of recruitment Sven Mislintat to quit.

A spokesman for the Gunners this morning refused to comment on continued speculation that the 46-year-old is set to depart just over a year after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in what was seen as a major coup for the club.

However, it is understood Mislintat is on the brink of leaving after becoming dismayed at Arsenal’s plans to add further football expertise at a senior level, with former Gunners midfielder and current Brazil technical director Edu viewed as a leading candidate .

Mislintat is believed to have originally been told he would supervise any such appointment, but it now appears the new position would have greater authority than he enjoys, including a bearing on the team’s style of play.

Head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham (below) are keen to oversee a less autonomous structure, sharing responsibility around and Mislintat is believed to have been surprised how much input head coach Unai Emery is having in the club’s transfer policy. A key aspect of the restructuring overseen by now-departed chief executive Ivan Gazidis was to strip power from the manager’s role.

Arsene Wenger enjoyed near total control until the final 18 months of his 22-year reign as Mislintat gradually took control of transfers, playing a role in the club-record £56million signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Yet Emery is thought to be the main voice pushing for the January signing of Denis Suarez, while he has also ruffled feathers in some quarters by ostracising Mesut Ozil, Arsenal’s highest earner on £350,000 a week. There is no suggestion of a significant falling out between Emery and Mislintat or, indeed, Sanllehi and Mislintat, but confusion over the club’s transfer policy has arisen.

Mislintat was charged with the responsibility of adhering to the analytics-driven model Arsenal have used to acquire players. The club bought US-based football data analytics company StatDNA in December 2012 and have increasingly used its findings to influence transfer strategy and prepare for matches.

However, Sanllehi believes he was mandated to use his range of contacts to help sign new players and the two approaches have caused disagreements, exacerbated by a financial squeeze on their ability to operate.

Mislintat’s departure — he has been linked with Bayern Munich — would be a loss, but Arsenal believe that between Sanllehi and a new technical director, they will have the knowhow to cope.

Contact has been made with Edu (above), but it remains unclear whether he would accept the role. Sanllehi and Venkatesham are expected to provide some clarity at a fans’ forum meeting before Saturday’s home game against Chelsea.