Roma sporting director Monchi smiles during a press conference at the Wanda Metropolitan stadium in Madrid on November 21, 2017 on the eve of the UEFA Champions League group C football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and AS Roma. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO

Arsenal Gossip

Italian media: Monchi set to join Arsenal officially in July

Mar 8, 2019

Former AS Roma sporting director Monchi is set to take up the new technical director role at Arsenal this summer, according to reports in Italy.

VERONA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: As Roma Sport director Ramon Rodriguez Monchi looks on before the Serie A match between Chievo Verona and AS Roma at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on February 8, 2019 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) — VERONA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: As Roma Sport director Ramon Rodriguez Monchi looks on before the Serie A match between Chievo Verona and AS Roma at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on February 8, 2019, in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Reports from Di Marzio journalist Francesco Porzio emerged on Friday morning that Monchi would leave Roma in the coming hours, at which point he’d be free to decide where to go next season. The news was confirmed just after midday.

This was then followed up by Corriere dello Sport writer Matteo Pedrosi claiming that after the relationship between Roma and Monchi ended by mutual consent, the 50-year-old is now just one step away from Arsenal. According to Pedrosi, Monchi will officially join the club in July.

#Roma, oggi #Ranieri dirigerà il primo allenamento, ufficialità in arrivo. Dopo l'esonero di Di Francesco, termina anche il rapporto con #Monchi (rescissione consensuale). Il ds spagnolo è a un passo dall'#Arsenal (ufficialmente da luglio), dove ritroverà Emery.

— Matteo Pedrosi (@MatteoPedrosi) March 8, 2019

Previous rumours suggested Arsenal would have to pay between £1m and £2.6m to release Monchi from his contract in Rome. However, it appears they’ve managed to avoid that fee, as Roma want to move him on anyway. Whatever that says about his time working for them, it does make the job bringing Monchi in as a director a lot easier.

We’ll have to wait and see if the reports are true. The Daily Mail recently claimed Monchi will have around £45m to spend on transfers this summer if he does join The Gunners, which would be boosted by any sales Arsenal make.

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