Arsène Wenger has denied the rumours linking Marc Overmars with a move to Arsenal as a potential Director of Football.
Wenger has previously ruled out the idea of a Director of Football at Arsenal, at least whilst he is in charge. However, the rumours in recent days had suggested that Overmars, former Gunner and Director of Football at Ajax, could be set to take over the role in North London.
When asked about the rumours in his Watford pre-match press conference, Wenger responded: “No, at the moment he’s director of Ajax. We have been in touch, but not at the moment, no,” reports Metro.
Those quotes are slightly misleading, but it seemed to me like Wenger meant he still talked to Overmars as a former colleague and friend, rather than getting in touch with him about a role with the Gunners.
Personally, it would be surprising to see a U-turn from Wenger on the necessity of a Director of Football, but then we have seen some pretty big changes this year.
For example, the implementation of a new formation was a surprise to many, but ended up helping Arsenal secure another FA Cup.
Meanwhile Jens Lehmann’s return and Mertesacker’s appointment as academy manager show Wenger is willing to bring former players into the fray behind the scenes. However, for now at least, the Overmars rumours seem unfounded.