Cassell nets ‘unparalleled’ inside story of Arsène Wenger's time at Arsenal FC

Cassell, part of the Octopus Publishing Group, has acquired Arsène Who?, “the tale of an unheralded mastermind who guided his team to new heights”, by Ryan Baldi.

Publisher Trevor Davies acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Kevin Pocklington at The North Literary Agency. It will be published on 12th October 2023 at £20.

Arsène Who? is described as “the inside story of how a hitherto little-known manager took Arsenal to the top of English football and changed the game forever".

The publisher goes on: “Baldi’s exhaustive research and interviews mean the reader gets a true in-the-dressing-room account of a seminal season in the life of both the North London Club and the Premiership. It is rich in behind-the-scenes stories, personal accounts of triumph, tragedy and heartbreak and built around exclusive interviews with key players, coaches, staff and opponents. It relives Arsenal’s rocky road to the 1998 Double and the inception of the Wenger revolution.”

The book will feature contributions from the likes of Ian Wright, Lee Dixon, Ray Parlour, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Nigel Winterburn, David Platt, Wenger’s assistant Pat Rice, David Dein (who brought Arsène to the Club), physios Gary and Colin Lewin, kit man Vic Ackers and more.

Baldi is a professional sports writer, whose work has featured on BBC Sport, the Guardian, the Independent, World Soccer, and FourFourTwo. His most recent book, The Dream Factory: Inside the Make-or-Break World of Football’s Academies (Polaris), was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. 

Davies said of the announcement “This is a fantastic book, not just for Arsenal fans, but for all those who want an insider’s view of what happened when a little-known French manager from the J League took the helm of a prestigious sporting institution and changed the English game forever. This season marked the start of a new era in the game’s professionalism. The exhaustive detail of Ryan’s research and gripping – often hilarious – insight of those involved make it a vastly entertaining read."

Baldi said: “It’s been a privilege to have spent the last couple of years speaking with key figures from within Arsenal’s historic 1998 Double-winning side and I’m delighted to have teamed up with Octopus to bring this book to life. Arsène Who? is the definitive story of one of English football’s most entertaining and influential teams and the manager who changed the game. I’m confident it will appeal not only to Arsenal fans but to anyone with an interest in football, the dynamics of team building and tales of triumph against adversity.”