Arsenal hold talks with Strasbourg technical director Pascal de Maesschalck | OneFootball

Arsenal have held talks with the technical director of RC Strasbourg Alsace, Pascal de Maesschalck, according to a report from The Athletic.

The Premier League champions are in the process of finding a successor for Per Mertesacker, who left his role as manager of the academy side at the end of the season. The German, a former defender for the Gunners, left the role after eight years.

De Maesschalck is currently the technical director of BlueCo side Strasbourg in Ligue 1. Prior to that, he was the academy manager at AS Monaco, responsible for the development of the likes of Eliesse Ben Seghir, Maghnes Akliouche, and Soungoutou Magassa. 

Speaking in an interview with Get French Football News back in January 2023, De Maesschalck, then at Monaco, said the following: “It is in our DNA to give young players a chance to play, French players in particular. In this club, it is very easy. Our directors and management try to watch the games live, so they see the evolution.”

“The players are so well known because there are no barriers, no closed doors. You watch the players train, you watch them play, you watch the feedback and you see an evolution. The feedback is daily. Everyone at Monaco knows that young players are part of our future, and they always will be. It is so natural here. The process is very fluid, you don’t feel it because it is so natural.”

The 52-year-old Belgian is a strong candidate to take the role at Arsenal, The Athletic understands. Talks have already been held with Le Racing’s technical director.

Read our exclusive interview with De Maesschalck HERE

GFFN | Luke Entwistle