Arsenal: Saka talks, new signings and the five biggest issues facing sporting director | OneFootball

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Whoever Arsenal bring in as their new sporting director, they have a sizeable to-do list waiting for them.

It has been reported that Arsenal plan to appoint a new sporting director in March as they seek to fill the position that has been vacant since Edu resigned in November.

Dan Ashworth, Roberto Olabe, Thiago Scuro and Tomas Rosicky have all been linked with the role for which Andrea Berta is a leading candidate, while Edu’s deputy Jason Ayto was promoted on an interim basis and is in the frame.

Arsenal face a crucial summer in the transfer market and need to bolster their squad, especially in attack, while a number of player contracts must be renewed.

In the running: Andrea Berta has emerged as a leading contender to succeed Edu as Arsenal’s new sporting director

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The Gunners will also want to boost their bank balance by selling players and the new sporting director will have to hit the ground running.

Arsenal are currently conducting a thorough recruitment process and manager Mikel Arteta said at the start of February that he expects that search to be concluded soon.

Executive vice-chair Tim Lewis and managing director Richard Garlick are leading the process, with input from Arteta. The ultimate sign-off will come from Arsenal’s owners, the Kroenke family.

Here, Standard Sport looks at what will be in the in-tray of the new Arsenal sporting director…

Contract renewals

Arsenal have a string of star players who will have two years left on their contracts come the summer. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba all fall into that category - and Arsenal will be keen to tie them down.

The club’s preference is to renew players when they have two years left on their contract, as opposed to conducting negotiations in the final 18 months or year of a deal.

William Saliba is one of the key Arsenal players who will be in the final two years of his contract come the summer

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The situation around Martinelli is eased by the fact that there is an option to extend his current contract by a further 12 months.

Arsenal’s latest financial accounts showed how their yearly wage bill has risen by £93million to £327.8m, but the club are still comfortably in line with cost control measures both domestically and in Europe.

New signings

Arsenal’s recent struggles have underlined the need for the squad to be strengthened in the summer. The club would ideally like to sign two forwards - a striker and a wide player.

They are fans of Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Nico Williams, although other targets have been scouted.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is a transfer target for Arsenal

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Midfield is an area in need of additions as both Jorginho and Thomas Partey are over 30 and out of contract at the end of the season. Arsenal are in pole position to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has a release clause of around £50m.

The Gunners were keen on signing Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg in January and are expected to return for him this summer. Arsenal have also been linked with Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich, who is due to be a free agent at the end of the season.

A new No2 goalkeeper is also required to provide back up and competition for David Raya.

Departures

Arsenal have the ability to spend this summer, but they will want to recoup money from sales. The wage bill will be reduced if Jorginho, Partey and Kieran Tierney leave for free as the trio are all thought to earn over £100,000-a-week.

Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu will not be sold as both players are currently out injured and not due back until after the summer.

Thomas Partey and Jorginho are both out of contract at the end of the season

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Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to attract interest as he will have a year left on his contract at the end of this season. Jakub Kiwior has admirers in Italy and Arsenal could be tempted to cash in on him if the right bid came in.

Leandro Trossard attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia last summer and, given that he is now 30, the Gunners must decide whether to stick or twist with him.

Homes must be found for Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson after they return from their respective loans at Porto and Fulham.

The academy

Arteta has blooded young players this season by giving chances to Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The challenge is to continue that production line and Arsenal last summer embarked on a major recruitment drive at youth level.

Post-Brexit rules have made British talent highly sought-after and Arsenal are set to sign Scottish teenager Callan Hamill from St Johnstone this summer for a six-figure fee. Arsenal will look to continue that push as an influx of new players into their academy will raise the level.

Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri have performed excellently, but Arsenal have lost top talent as well - namely striker Chido Obi and defender Ayden Heaven to Manchester United.

Teenage sensation Max Dowman has been tipped for a huge future at Arsenal

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There is excitement about some of the young players coming through now, such as goalkeeper Jack Porter and midfielder Max Dowman.

Multi-club model?

It was at the start of January that Arteta expressed a desire for Arsenal to explore a multi-club model. Arteta stressed it is a decision for the club’s owners, the Kroenke family, to make but he did point out the challenges involved by not having one.

Teams with a multi-club model in place benefit as post-Brexit rules on transfers mean Premier League sides cannot sign foreigners until they are 18. A multi-club model allows sides to sign overseas players to one of their satellite clubs, where they can develop before moving to England.

It is unclear if Arsenal would pursue such a model under the current owners, but the sporting director would have a key role to play if they do.