England u18 boss Kevin Betsy is reportedly a contender to take over the Arsenal u23 job vacated by Steve Bould, according to a report.

Kevin Betsy with England (Photo via TheFA.com)
Kevin Betsy with England (Photo via TheFA.com)

The S*n claim Arsenal want to replace Steve Bould with Kevin Betsy this summer.

The 43-year-old is the current head coach of the England u18s and is reportedly highly rated within the system. He’s also managed England’s u15s, u16s, and u17s in recent years, having taken charge of Fulham’s u15s and u16s for seven years before that.

The same outlet add that Per Mertesacker has taken over the u23 head coach role at Arsenal on an interim basis, but the Gunners are looking to appoint Betsy ahead of the new season.

As we covered back in May, Arsenal let Steve Bould go this summer after 30 years with the club. Despite huge success with the club over those three decades, the feeling was that the u23s needed a change.

Arsenal have a very talented group of young players right now, particularly when it comes to the u18s who will be stepping up to the u23 team next season. They need the right coaching staff in charge to get the best out of that group.

But after a season of fighting relegation, Arsenal clearly decided Bould wasn’t the man for the job anymore.

Betsy already knows a couple of Arsenal youngsters, having included Hubert Graczyk and Daniel Oyegoke in his England u18 squad to face Wales in March.

He will have met plenty of others during his time with the u15s, u16s, and u17s as well, including the likes of Charlie Patino, who captained the u17s under Betsy, and Zane Monlouis, who won the Syrenka Cup with the coach in 2019.

As usual, we have to add the usual disclaimer not to put any faith in a report from The S*n. But it’s worth keeping an eye out for any more reliable sources covering the same news.