Trusted Arsenal executive decides to leave | OneFootball

Jason Ayto’s name rarely made headlines, but inside Arsenal, his influence ran deep.

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Jason Ayto has left the club, ending a decade-long tenure that saw him rise from scout to interim sporting director.

His exit, communicated internally on Friday and reported by both the BBC and The Athletic, comes just weeks after the club finalised the appointment of Andrea Berta as permanent successor to Edu Gaspar.

It appears to be his decision, leaving to “further his career and pursue other opportunities”.

Ayto, 39, was Edu’s “right-hand man” and was promoted to interim sporting director following Edu’s departure in November. According to the reports above, his influence extended across the men’s, women’s and academy operations, overseeing the coordination of scouting, recruitment strategy, and increasingly, high-level transfer negotiations.

Despite being considered a strong candidate to take the job full-time, the club opted to appoint Berta, formerly of Atlético Madrid, in April.

Ayto will now serve a period of gardening leave before pursuing other opportunities.

His fingerprints are on much of Arsenal’s recent transfer business. He was instrumental in discussions over deals for Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, and Martin Zubimendi, the latter expected to arrive from Real Sociedad this summer.