Per Mertesacker will leave his role as Arsenal Academy Manager at the end of the season and the German Football Association are reportedly lining up a move for the former defender
Per Mertesacker will leave his role as Arsenal's Academy Manager at the end of the season
Per Mertesacker will leave his role as Arsenal's Academy Manager at the end of the season(Image: Getty Images)
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The German Football Association (DFB) is eyeing a move for Per Mertesacker, just days after it was announced that the 41-year-old would be stepping down from his role as Academy Manager at Arsenal in the summer.
Mertesacker, who hung up his boots in 2018, took over the reins of Arsenal's academy not long after and has thrived in the position, helping to mould some of the finest talent in the club's history. Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman are among those who have graduated from the academy to the first team under Mertesacker's stewardship.
The former Arsenal defender, who clocked up more than 200 appearances during his seven-year stint at the Emirates, is a much-loved figure within the club's set-up. However, on Monday, the Gunners confirmed that Mertesacker would be vacating his post at the end of the season.
"Arsenal is and will always be a very special club to me, so this was a difficult decision," Mertesacker said in a statement on the Arsenal website. "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."
Now, according to BILD, Mertesacker is now seen as a 'hot candidate' for a similar role at the German Football Association (DFB). Back in 2022, Mertesacker and fellow World Cup champion Sami Khedira were touted as potential successors to Oliver Bierhoff, who stepped down as director of the national team after Germany's group stage exit at the Qatar World Cup.
Per Mertesacker will leave Arsenal at the end of the season
Per Mertesacker will leave Arsenal at the end of the season(Image: )
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However, an agreement couldn't be reached at the time, and Mertesacker stayed put at Arsenal. The DFB then opted for a reshuffle, with Andreas Rettig taking on the role of managing director of sport in 2023 and Rudi Voller being appointed as sporting director.
Rettig's remit also includes overseeing Germany's youth teams. Voller, a 1990 World Cup winner, recently extended his contract as DFB's sporting director until 2028.
He enjoys a good working relationship with Mertesacker and has expressed that he could envision the former Arsenal player succeeding him. However, this scenario won't come into play for at least another two-and-a-half years.
For now, Mertesacker is set to continue in his current role at Arsenal until the end of this season.
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