Former Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker is set to return to the German Football Association after reaching a full agreement to become its new sporting director.
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, the 2014 World Cup winner has agreed to succeed Andreas Rettig as the DFB’s Geschaftsfuhrer Sport, with the appointment expected to be confirmed imminently.
Mertesacker is due to begin his new role in January 2027, with his contract set to run through to the 2030 World Cup.
The move comes just months after the 41-year-old brought the curtain down on his eight-year spell overseeing Arsenal’s academy.
Mertesacker announced in January that he would leave Hale End at the end of the 2025-26 season, before the club appointed Pascal De Maesschalck as his successor earlier this month.
His departure marked the end of a hugely influential period for Arsenal’s youth setup.
During his time in charge, Mertesacker helped modernise the academy and oversaw the development of several players who have progressed into Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are among the academy graduates to establish themselves at senior level, while highly-rated prospects such as Max Dowman have also flourished within the Hale End system.
The former Germany international also played an important role in reshaping Arsenal’s player development philosophy, placing greater emphasis on education, leadership and preparing youngsters for senior football.
Mertesacker enjoyed an outstanding playing career before moving into academy management.
After spells with Hannover 96 and Werder Bremen, he joined Arsenal in 2011 and went on to make more than 200 appearances for the club.
He lifted three FA Cups, captained the Gunners and became a popular figure both on and off the pitch before retiring in 2018.
At international level, Mertesacker earned 104 caps for Germany and was part of the squad that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
His experience as both an elite player and academy leader is understood to have made him an outstanding candidate for one of the DFB’s most important executive positions.
Rather than working as a coach, Mertesacker will now help shape Germany’s long-term sporting strategy, overseeing key football decisions as the country builds towards Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
Although he has already left Arsenal, supporters will remember the lasting impact he made behind the scenes.
His work at Hale End helped strengthen the pathway from the academy to the first team, leaving the club in a strong position as a new leadership team takes youth development forward.