Per Mertesacker to walk out on his job at Arsenal - leaving club 'incredibly sad' after his key role in developing youth stars Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman
Per Mertesacker will step down as Arsenal's academy manager at the end of the season after eight years in the role. The Gunners confirmed his departure in a club statement, with the 41-year-old saying it was time to 'explore something new'. He said: 'Arsenal is and will always be a very special club to me, so this was a difficult decision. 'We were fortunate to have retained Per as academy manager once he finished his playing career with us in 2018. 'We're happy that Per remains in role until the end of the season whilst we focus on our succession plan.
Source: Metro January 12, 2026 13:14 UTC
