According to both BBC Sport and The Athletic, Jason Ayto will leave Arsenal this summer after missing out on the sporting director role for which he interviewed.
The 39-year-old, who served as assistant to Edu, largely flew under the radar during his decade at the club but stepped into the spotlight last November when he temporarily took over his mentor’s duties following the Brazilian’s unexpected departure.
Ayto was considered a leading candidate to succeed Edu but ultimately lost out to the more experienced Andrea Berta, who arrived in March.
While the interview process was taking place, Mikel Arteta described Ayto’s contribution as “phenomenal”, although the executive would later catch strays from frustrated fans when the club failed to strengthen the forward line in January.
Even so, he’s understood to have played a key role in shaping Arsenal’s upcoming transfer strategy, including involvement in negotiations for Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi.
In truth, his departure doesn’t come as a major surprise. After being passed over for promotion and with no clear pathway forward, it seems he’s decided it’s the right time to move on for the sake of his career. Fair play to him.
Word is Berta is forging his own path at London Colney, and Ayto isn’t the only one to be sidelined along the way.