Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says the jury's out over Premiership clubs and sporting directors.

Dein said: "Whatever works to be successful (is best), whether it's with a sporting director or without one.

"I have to say when I was working with Arsene (Wenger, Arsenal manager) for 10 years, we didn't have a sporting director, there was just a special chemistry there that brought success.

"Spurs tried it recently but have now abolished it I understand. In effect, you don't want to have too many cooks. I believe that a manager has to manage. A manager has to choose the players he wants to buy, he has to choose the players he want to sell.

"He is solely in charge when it comes to his selection process. Any interference from outside is dangerous.

"So a sporting director may be like a glorified scout, who recommends players to the manager, but in the end it has to be the manager's final decision."