Tomas Rosicky is among the frontrunners in Arsenal’s search for a new sporting director, though he wants to see out the current campaign with Sparta Prague.
Ed Aarons and Nick Ames report for The Guardian that former Gunner Tomas Rosicky is a leading contender to become Arsenal’s new sporting director, as the club search for a replacement for Edu Gaspar.
Rosicky reportedly remains close with Mikel Arteta and academy manager Per Mertesacker, and he’s been in regular contact with member’s of Arsenal’s hierarchy as they look for Edu’s successor.
But it doesn’t look like they’ll be any immediate movement on this front. Rosicky remains in talks, but he’s believed to prefer seeing out the season with Sparta Prague – for whom he’s currently a sporting director.
For the time being, Jason Ayto has taken over Edu’s duties at Arsenal, and he’ll oversea the January window. But The Guardian reporters suggest his lack of experience means he’s unlikely to get the job full-time.
In terms of other candidates, the same report highlights that Luis Campos of PSG and Brentford’s Phil Giles have both been linked, adding that Arsenal would prefer to appoint someone with an association with the club.
Czech publication Seznam Zpravy confirm that Rosicky is a leading candidate for the Arsenal job, or perhaps the leading candidate.
SZ point to Rosicky’s job at Sparta, stabilising the club’s salary situation and building a championship team. The same source adds that Sparta wouldn’t stand in the ex-player’s way if a formal offer comes in.
There won’t be an immediate resolution to the search, and that’s arguably a good thing. You don’t want to replace your sporting director in the middle of a transfer window. Instead, it’s one to keep an eye on over the coming months.