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Per Mertesacker will step down as Arsenal’s Head of Academy at the end of the 2025/26 season, ending an influential eight-year spell leading the club’s youth development set-up. Since taking charge in 2018, Mertesacker’s academy tenure has coincided with one of Arsenal’s richest eras for homegrown talent — guiding players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman from Hale End into the senior squad and beyond. Nwaneri’s record-breaking breakthrough and progression to senior appearances, Lewis-Skelly’s England debut goal, and Dowman’s historic Premier League milestones all reflect the pathway Mertesacker helped strengthen, blending elite coaching with a clear identity for Arsenal youth. Arsenal have proudly pointed to that strong production line as part of their modern DNA, and Mertesacker’s “Strong Young Gunners” philosophy, focused on resilience, personal growth and technical readiness, will be remembered as a cornerstone of that youth revolution. His departure marks the end of an era for Arsenal’s academy, just when that next wave of graduates looks set to define the club’s future on both domestic and international stages.