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Arsenal Backroom Shake-Up as Performance Coach Wilson Prepares to Depart
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Arsenal Backroom Shake-Up as Performance Coach Wilson Prepares to Depart

2 hours ago·2 min

Arsenal's lead performance coach Sam Wilson is preparing to leave the club after more than a decade of service, with Juventus emerging as his likely next destination.

Wilson joined Arsenal in 2014 and has worked alongside the first team for the past seven years. His departure is understood to be his own choice — he had the option to stay but has elected to pursue a more senior position elsewhere. The link to Juventus is strengthened by the presence of former Arsenal head of performance Darren Burgess, who now serves as director of performance in Turin.

A wider overhaul behind the scenes

Wilson's exit is the latest in a series of backroom changes at the Emirates. Despite Arsenal claiming the Premier League title last season — their first league championship in 22 years — the club has faced scrutiny over injuries sustained throughout the campaign.

Head of sports medicine Dr Zafar Iqbal has already departed the club. Iqbal, who previously held roles at Crystal Palace and Liverpool, was informed of his exit following Arsenal's UEFA Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The process of finding his replacement is now under way.

As part of a broader review of the medical department, manager Mikel Arteta's long-standing friend Joaquin Acedo served as a consultant to the club during the past season. Acedo and Arteta go back to the manager's playing days at Everton, where the physio also worked.

Rehabilitation specialist targeted from Real Betis

Arsenal's recruitment drive in the medical department also appears to have extended to Real Betis, with reports indicating that rehabilitation specialist Eneko Angulo is set to leave the Spanish club after 12 years. Angulo's departure is expected at the end of this month following an approach from Arsenal.

Angulo shared an emotional farewell message on social media, and his anticipated move to north London is seen as a central piece of Arsenal's push to reshape and strengthen their medical staff ahead of the new campaign.

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