Arsenal’s backroom is being reshaped this summer alongside the squad, with Mikel Arteta turning to a familiar figure from his playing days as he looks to strengthen the team behind the team.
Arsenal remain active in the transfer market with Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke the most prominent names linked in recent days.
The departure of Carlos Cuesta, who left to take charge of Parma, has created space in Arteta’s coaching setup. That role is now expected to be filled by former Man Utd defender Gabriel Heinze.
Heinze, 47, is set to return to the Premier League in a very different capacity, joining Arteta’s backroom ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The pair have known each other since their time as teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, and Arteta has made no secret of the influence Heinze had on him as a young player.
Speaking in a past interview, the Arsenal manager named Heinze alongside Mauricio Pochettino as one of the senior players who “were guiding me in everything I had to do in my professional life… and they were inspirational to me.”
Heinze’s playing career was as uncompromising as it was decorated. He made 72 appearances for Argentina, featured at two World Cups, and lifted domestic titles in England, France, Spain and Argentina.
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After joining Man Utd in 2004, he was voted the club’s Player of the Year in his debut season, becoming a cult hero among fans at Old Trafford.
His time in Manchester ended less harmoniously, with Heinze pushing for a controversial move to Liverpool after falling down the pecking order under Sir Alex Ferguson. That move was blocked, and he left for Real Madrid instead.
Since retiring, Heinze has held several head coaching roles in South America, including at Newell’s Old Boys, Argentinos Juniors and Velez Sarsfield. He also had a short spell in MLS with Atlanta United but has been out of work since November 2023.
Heinze will now slot into an Arsenal setup that already includes Albert Stuivenberg, goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana and set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover — all of whom signed new contracts last season to align with Arteta’s own deal, which runs until 2027.
With pre-season preparations now underway and Arsenal due to tour Singapore and Hong Kong later this month, Heinze’s arrival is expected to be made official in the coming days.
