Arsenal have confirmed that Pascal De Maesschalck will take over as Academy Director at the start of August.
The Belgian succeeds Per Mertesacker, who held the role for eight years, and arrives from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, where he has been Technical Director.
De Maesschalck, 52, brings a wealth of experience in youth development. He spent 14 years at Club Brugge, eventually becoming academy manager, before taking on the same role at Monaco. He joined Strasbourg in 2024 to work within BlueCo, the multi-club group that also owns Chelsea.
In a statement on the club’s website, Sporting Director Andrea Berta said: “We are delighted to welcome Pascal to Arsenal. He brings extensive experience from some of Europe’s leading football clubs and has an outstanding track record in youth development.
“We are excited to have him with us as we continue to build for the future, developing young players and identifying the best emerging talent to join Arsenal on a journey towards professional football.”
On that note, the Gunners had been heavily tipped to sign Leicester’s highly-rated 16-year-old Jeremy Monga, only to see Manchester City swoop in and get the deal done instead. If nothing else, it’s a reminder of the fiercely competitive landscape De Maesschalck is stepping into.
It will also be interesting to see how visible a presence he becomes. While Mertesacker remained a familiar face to supporters after hanging up his boots, he largely preferred to keep a low profile when it came to his day-to-day work overseeing the academy.