Arteta: Jason Ayto has "full support" ahead of January window

12/13/2024 09:22 AM

Arsenal may be on the hunt for a new sporting director following Edu’s unexpected exit last month, but Mikel Arteta insists the club is well-equipped to handle whatever the January transfer window brings.

While the Gunners conduct a thorough recruitment process, which could extend until the summer, Edu’s deputy, Jason Ayto, has been promoted on an interim basis.

A former club scout with a decade of service, Ayto has Arteta’s backing and, notably, received high praise from his former boss, who spoke glowingly about his qualities in an interview with The Athletic.

All in all, it sounds like the club is happy with how the dust has settled and, anyway, they aren’t expecting January to be particularly busy on the transfer front.

Asked about the current absence of a sporting director, Arteta was quick to point out: “We have one. Jason Ayto is our sporting director, interim sporting director, and he’s got the full capacity right now, our full support, the support of the football club and he’s doing really well with his team.”

Given Arsenal’s tendency to promote from within – evident in Vinai Venkatesham’s rise to CEO and Richard Garlick’s promotion to managing director – it's widely believed that Jason Ayto is the frontrunner for the sporting director role, despite links to several higher-profile names.

“The [hiring] process is open. The club, with the support of all of us, and intervention of all of us, will decide who they think is the best person to move us forward,” said Arteta.

“Timing-wise, it’s difficult to understand and I’m not running that process, so it’s more a question for the club to respond.

As for whether he wants it sorted sooner rather than later, he added: “Yeah, but [only when] we are convinced that we have the right person with the right team that can work with a lot of people that are doing extremely great work at the moment and that someone is going to help us to go to the next level. We might have it internally.”

Compared to the summer window, the month of January rarely sees blockbuster transfers. More often than not, it’s used for squad tweaks and injury reinforcements.

Arsenal certainly have plenty of fitness issues at the moment, so it’s not impossible Ayto could be pressed into negotiations for a new face or two.

“I don’t expect and never expect January to be super busy, but we have to wait and see where we are,” said Arteta.

“Some surprises can come, we are prepared for that, some opportunities as well, and we’ll have to see. Hopefully, the squad and the availability of the squad is going to be better in a few weeks.”

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