Per Mertesacker, the club’s Academy Manager, has confirmed he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season after eight years in the role.
Per has overseen our men’s Academy since 2018 with a vision to develop distinctive Strong Young Gunners - young players who have gone on to make their mark with our own men’s first team, pursued successful careers at other clubs or followed different paths to fulfil their potential with an excellent grounding and education.
Per’s continued focus on ‘better people making better players’ has ensured our Academy instils the values of Arsenal into young players who understand what it means to represent the Gunners.
Per said: “Arsenal is and will always be a very special club to me, so this was a difficult decision. I am very thankful for the trust the club put in me when transitioning from a first-team player directly into the role as Head of Academy. Now it is time for me to move on and explore something new and push myself even further.
“I remain focused on finishing the season strongly, continuing to nurture and develop our young talent and support a seamless transition until my very last day with the club."
Richard Garlick, Arsenal’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We support Per’s decision to pursue something new, but we will be incredibly sad to see him leave at the end of the season.
“We were fortunate to have retained Per as Academy Manager once he finished his playing career with us in 2018. He understands what Arsenal stands for and this has been a constant in his leadership - inspiring our Academy coaches, staff and young players in an Arsenal way and giving so many an opportunity to develop and shine.
“We’re happy that Per remains in role until the end of the season whilst we focus on our succession plan.
“We continue in our pursuit of winning major trophies with a sustained focus and investment in our Academy.”
