ARSENAL are planning to hire a new sporting director to replace Edu Gaspar next month.
Edu, 46, resigned in November after five years with the Gunners who appointed their former player as the club’s first ever technical director in 2019 before his promotion as sporting director in 2022.
Dan Ashworth is among the names Arsenal are considering for a new sporting directorPA
Arsenal are looking for a replacement for Edu GasparGetty
The Brazilian executive is now expected to link up with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ new group, which also includes reigning Conference League winners Olympiacos and Rio Ave.
According to The Athletic, the North Londoners are rigorously searching for Edu’s successor and are in the process of whittling down candidates before reaching a final decision.
The likes of Dan Ashworth, Andrea Berta, Roberto Olabe and Thiago Scuro are among the names that have been discussed internally.
The same goes for Arsenal interim sporting director Jason Ayto, who was promoted after Edu’s departure.
Paris Saint-Germain strategic advisor Luis Campos was also linked but is not actually in the frame.
The Premier League giants’ owners KSE are heavily involved and a final call will not be made without their approval.
Ashworth has been a free agent since his sudden departure from Manchester United in December after just five months in the job despite his previous employers splashing £3million to Newcastle for his services.
The ex-Man Utd chief enjoyed tremendous success at Brighton, whom he turned into a competitive Premier League side, and Newcastle, where he signed Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.
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Ayto has been with Arsenal for a decade and worked under Edu as his assistant for two years.
He was heavily involved with talks that led to the signing of Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori last summer.
Berta is one of the main figures that turned Atletico Madrid into LaLiga and Champions League challengers thanks to his stunning 12-year stint working with manager Diego Simeone until his exit last month.
The Italian signed the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak as well as Rodri and recently spent time in London learning English as he is targeting a job in the Prem.
Olabe is set to step down from his role as sporting director at Real Sociedad this summer.
The Spaniard signed the likes of Merino, Isak, Martin Odegaard and David Silva during his seven-year spell at Sociedad – he also worked out deals with Arsenal involving Kieran Tierney and Nacho Monreal.
Scuro has been with Monaco since 2023 where he was promoted as CEO after helping the club finish second last season for the first time since 2018.
Arsenal ratings vs Forest as NOBODY looks like scoring for Gunners but Saliba’s a Rolls Royce again
MIKEL ARTETA may not have anyone to put the ball in the back of the net but in William Saliba he has one of the best defenders in the Prem.
The Arsenal boss watched his side’s faint title hopes go well and truly up in smoke in the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.
But his brilliant backline emerged, once again, with credit from this tricky clash at the City Ground.
Together with Gabriel, Saliba kept a tight lid on Forest dangerman Chris Wood, who scored a hat-trick in his last appearance on this ground.
But the fact the Gunners’ biggest threat at the other end of the pitch came from left-back Riccardo Calafiori – who was subbed off at half-time – says it all about the dire situation Arsenal somehow find themselves in.
Here is how SunSport’s Graeme Bryce rated the Gunners stars’ displays…
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