North London’s Unexpected Double Exit
The Premier League’s first shareholders’ summit of the 2025/26 campaign convenes this week in Covent Garden without two of its loudest—or, in Daniel Levy’s case, quietest—voices. Spurs’ long-serving chair Daniel Levy has stepped down after a quarter-century while Tim Lewis, Arsenal’s forthright executive vice-chair, has also vacated his seat. Their combined absences all but guarantee “less banging on the table”, according to one senior executive.
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| Tim Lewis and Daniel Levy |
Why Tim Lewis Mattered
A corporate lawyer by trade, Lewis spent just five seasons at the league’s top table yet left an outsized imprint. He pushed relentlessly for strict enforcement of profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) and limits on APTs, positioning Arsenal as champions of financial self-sufficiency.
His most tangible success was the vote to cap player-contract amortisation at five years, a direct response to Chelsea’s eight-year deals. Yet he could not persuade the requisite 14 clubs to close every loophole—most notably the sale of property assets to related companies.
Lewis’s zealous approach often ruffled feathers. One rival executive joked that “the table needed reinforcing” after Lewis’s interventions, while a minor diplomatic spat at the Etihad ensued last season when he departed the directors’ box without shaking hands.
Daniel Levy’s Quiet Power
In contrast, Levy’s influence was felt in the corridors rather than the conference room. The transfer negotiator par excellence preferred private lobbying to public grandstanding, earning grudging respect for shrewdness rather than bombast.
His departure sees former Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham represent Spurs, adding a fascinating twist given his Emirates past.
Who Fills the Vacuum?
Arsenal have elevated Richard Garlick—once the Premier League’s own director of football—to chief executive, ensuring a familiar face for league boss Richard Masters. Tottenham, meanwhile, lean on Venkatesham’s experience to navigate commercial growth and looming squad-cost controls.
Observers anticipate the likes of Crystal Palace’s Steve Parish or Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly stepping into the conversational void, though neither may match Lewis’s intensity.
Implications for Financial Governance
With two vocal advocates of fiscal prudence gone, some predict a softer stance on PSR enforcement. Yet both Arsenal and Tottenham remain “run very prudently” and are expected to back new squad-cost controls currently on the table.
- PSR audits could rely more on consensus than confrontation.
- The five-year amortisation cap is unlikely to be revisited.
- An impending verdict on Manchester City’s 115 charges may still fracture unity, regardless of personnel changes.
A More Collaborative Tone—For Now
League insiders speak of a “more collegiate” atmosphere forming in the wake of North London’s reshuffles. Masters will hope the quieter room accelerates commercial growth plans without diluting regulatory rigour—but the upcoming City ruling looms large.