When Per Mertesacker informed the Arsenal hierarchy that he would be stepping down as academy manager, Mikel Arteta felt the news with some force.
Mertesacker and Arteta arrived in north London together as players in the summer of 2011, two very different characters embarking on what would become parallel journeys through Arsenal’s modern history.
Fifteen years on, with both having risen to integral roles at the club – one as manager, the other as the custodian of Hale End – that long-running connection has reached its conclusion.
Daily Mail Sport understands the news of Mertesacker’s impending departure at the end of the season, announced last week, was not a total shock. A few Arsenal insiders were aware of the possibility of Mertesacker leaving from last year.
The 41-year-old embarked upon a technical director’s course early in 2024, which he completed last summer and involved a trip to New York. The programme focused on boardroom leadership, managing high-performance teams and developing organisational culture.
Those around the club therefore saw an inevitability in the German moving on to pursue ambitions at director level.
Per Mertesacker has been an integral figure at Arsenal since becoming academy manager back in 2018
But the German (right, with compatriot Kai Havertz) wants to pursue more senior roles and is leaving at the end of the season
It’s understood that Arsenal are considering a pivot towards a replacement with experience in foreign markets – particularly in Europe and South America – as the club look to better exploit an area that has arguably not been fully utilised in recent years.
As reported last month, the Gunners signed 16-year-old Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente del Valle. The pair will join the club next season upon turning 18. Expect increased attention on the international market for elite young talent going forward.
Sources say Mertesacker had watched former Arsenal loans manager Ben Knapper embark on a similar pathway before leaving the club to become Norwich City’s sporting director in November 2023, and wanted further progression himself – something that was unlikely to materialise at Arsenal.
Knapper undertook a Masters in sporting directorship at Manchester Metropolitan University between 2018 and 2021, a qualification that helped prepare him for the step up.
For Mertesacker, with Andrea Berta installed as sporting director and James King appointed technical director last year, there was no clear pathway for progression within the hierarchy.
There have already been reports in Germany linking the ex-World Cup winner with a director-level role at the German FA.
Regardless of whether it came out of the blue, Mertesacker’s departure is one many inside the north London club are slowly processing. From junior members of staff to the executives, the Gunners’ BFG (Big Friendly German), is widely admired and respect, a driving force behind a lot of good at Hale End over the past eight years.
It’s Mertesacker’s effect on culture and welfare that is regarded as his most enduring legacy. He cares about producing well-rounded young men who are ready either for the professional ranks or a life beyond football.
Mertesacker, who played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2018, sees no clear pathway for progression in the new-look Arsenal hierarchy
Mertesacker (seen lifting the FA Cup in 2017) is renowned for his human touch, often being the man to contact the parents of released academy prospects
Making it as a footballer is not viewed by the 6ft 6in ex-centre back as the be-all and end-all in life. That outlook has helped forge an environment whereby character and education are valued as highly as talent.
A source told Daily Mail Sport: ‘He’s done well in terms of player mindset and changing the culture.
‘If you reach out to him, he’s the quickest person within Arsenal to get back to you. You send him an email, text, he’ll get back to you within 24 hours. No one else is like that at the club.
‘He’s very good with parents. If you’re a parent and your boy is getting a scholarship or contract, he is the one that tells you. But if your son is getting released, he’s also the person that tells you.
‘Per told me on a call that he (my player) was going to be released. He explained it to me, and he was supportive to the player. He gave his perspective on what they can do going forward. He’s a very professional person, he’s empathetic, direct, a very good communicator.
‘I of course didn’t want that (Arsenal not extending the player’s contract) but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s a good person doing a difficult job.’
Among Hale End’s highlights in recent years has been the production of elite talent which Arteta has made use of – saving the club millions in transfer fees.
The list includes Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman, starlets who are on track for highly promising careers. It has not, though, been all plain-sailing on the pitch.
Across the Under 18s, Under 19s and Under 21s, the Gunners have won just two matches since September 23: the U19s beating Bayern Munich 4-2 in the UEFA Youth League and the Under 18s beating Mansfield Town 4-1 in the FA Youth Cup.
Myles Lewis-Skelly (left) and Bukayo Saka are among the most impressive Hale End graduates in recent years
Overall, it’s 23 games, two victories, including the Under 21s losing to Liverpool 7-0 on Saturday. The overall philosophy is that producing one or two players of first-team standard from an academy cohort outweighs youth-team results. Even so, such a poor record is far from ideal.
There is also a feeling that Arsenal should generate greater revenue from academy players who do not make the grade at first-team level, particularly when compared to their rivals.
The Gunners have raised significant funds in recent seasons from the sales of academy alumni such as Folarin Balogun (£34million to Monaco in August 2023), Emile Smith Rowe (£34m to Fulham in August 2024) and Eddie Nketiah (£30m to Crystal Palace in August 2024).
Yet Manchester City and Chelsea’s ability to consistently monetise their academies is on a different scale, and it is an area Arsenal know they must improve in.
For now, Mertesacker is focused on finishing his tenure in the professional manner he has embodied across his time at the club.
His affable nature and inviting manner will be missed. Whoever takes his place has a significant task ahead – not simply to develop talent, but to preserve the culture Mertesacker leaves behind.
