Jason Ayto has left Arsenal after working as assistant sporting director and interim sporting director
Arsenal assistant sporting director Jason Ayto has left the club following a stint as interim sporting director, according to The Athletic.
The 39-year-old was the assistant to former Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar before the Brazilian left last November, and he took over the role temporarily, overseeing the January transfer window.
Ayto, a former scout and former video analyst had been with Arsenal for a decade, rising through the ranks to become Edu’s right-hand man, and he had spent just around a year and a half in his role as the club’s assistant sporting director before Edu left.
He was a contender for the job before the Gunners appointed Andrea Berta, and while they had hoped for him to remain at the club in the long term and retain his skill set, his increased profile has attracted interest from elsewhere.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dubbed Ayto ‘phenomenal’ last year, and he will now serve a period of gardening leave before officially departing the club, with the news of his exit announced to staff internally on Friday afternoon.
Apart from helping coordinate the January transfer window, he also helped with the appointment of a new women’s manager, and he will not be short of suitors in Europe given his quality.
Ayto, who is well-regarded in European football circles, also speaks fluent Portuguese and was one of the driving forces behind the almost-done deal to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
It remains to be seen whether the North London club plan to appoint another assistant sporting director following the development, but Berta will receive support from Arsenal’s director of football operations, James King, and head of recruitment James Ellis ahead of the summer transfer window and going forward.
