Arsenal are preparing to end lead performance coach Sam Wilson’s 12-year association with the club, according to the BBC, as a wider staff shake-up takes shape.
Wilson joined the Gunners in 2014 and has spent the past seven years working directly with the first team, building a lengthy and significant career at the north London club.
He is expected to move on to a more senior position elsewhere, marking a notable departure from an organisation he has served across more than a decade of considerable change.
His exit is part of a broader restructuring of Mikel Arteta’s backroom setup following Arsenal’s first Premier League title win in 22 years, a triumph that still prompted serious internal reflection.
Despite their historic success, the club endured a heavy injury burden throughout the campaign, leading to a review of both the medical and performance departments at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Head of sports medicine Dr. Zafar Iqbal has also departed, with the BBC reporting he was informed of the decision shortly after Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Football.london understands that Portuguese specialist Arnaldo Abrantes, who has previously held roles at Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, is set to be appointed as his replacement.
Real Betis rehabilitation specialist Eneko Angulo is also set to move to north London after spending 12 years with the Spanish club, forming a key part of Arsenal’s medical overhaul.
Upon announcing his departure from Betis, Angulo posted an emotional farewell message on social media that captured the personal weight of leaving his boyhood club behind.
“Sometimes the decisions we make in life have a high sentimental value, and in my case, today I have to announce a very carefully considered decision made a few months ago that fills me with sadness, but on the other hand, it will allow me to be close to my family and enjoy what one leaves behind when assuming positions of responsibility like mine currently,” he wrote.
Angulo added: “I’m leaving my home, Real Betis Balompie, where I’ve grown both personally and professionally over 12 years in two separate spells. This is a personal, not a professional, decision; now it’s time to be close to my family.”
He concluded: “It’s a sad day because of everything I’m leaving behind: friends, hard work, dedication, and countless memories. Now it’s time to return to Valencia with my family and consider new projects for the future together. Thank you for everything, Real Betis Balompié and its people.”
The scale of Arsenal’s injury problems made action unavoidable, with Jurrien Timber unable to start the Champions League final and Ben White missing out on the showpiece occasion entirely.
Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Gabriel Jesus all spent extended periods sidelined, badly disrupting Arteta’s ability to field a consistent starting lineup.
Piero Hincapie, William Saliba, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Riccardo Calafiori also dealt with fitness issues, reinforcing the urgency behind this summer’s medical department restructure.
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