Brentford corner flag
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Arsenal’s Under-21 head coach Mehmet Ali has departed the club to take up a first-team assistant coaching role at Brentford, marking a significant step in his career.
The 38-year-old, who joined the Gunners in January 2022 as an assistant to the Under-23s, became head coach in 2022 after Kevin Betsy’s exit.
Ali’s tenure saw him nurture talents like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, both of whom have broken into Arsenal’s first team. His departure, confirmed on July 4, 2025, leaves Arsenal searching for a new U21s boss as Brentford’s new head coach Keith Andrews rebuilds his staff following Thomas Frank’s move to Tottenham.
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Arsenal - Mehmet Ali - Brentford
Arsenal’s U21 head coach Mehmet Ali has departed the club to take up a first-team assistant coaching role at Brentford. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
Ali, who earned his UEFA Pro Licence in June 2024, brings a wealth of youth coaching experience from previous roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Reading. At Arsenal, he was praised for his attention to detail, notably in developing Nwaneri’s movement and Lewis-Skelly’s versatility.
Brentford’s Andrews highlighted Ali’s alignment with his footballing philosophy, stating, “Mehmet came on to our radar a few weeks ago. When we started discussing football, it was clear we are very closely aligned on the game.” Ali joins Martin Drury and Neil MacFarlane in Andrews’ backroom team at the Gtech Community Stadium.
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Academy manager Per Mertesacker lauded Ali’s contribution, saying, “Mehmet has been fantastic both professionally and personally, and we are really proud of his development.” Arsenal have appointed Max Porter and Ken Gillard as interim U21 coaches while considering internal and external candidates, with Porter a strong contender for the permanent role.
Ali’s move to Brentford reflects his ambition to transition into senior football, though some fans question the timing, given Arsenal’s youth pipeline success.
His exit, reported by The Athletic and echoed across X, underscores Brentford’s progressive ethos in appointing promising coaches. Arsenal now face the challenge of maintaining their academy’s momentum without one of its key architects.
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