Arsenal to sack their head scout who discovered Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin

The man who discovered Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin has been let go

Arsenal are set to sack Francis Cagigao, their head of international scouting for over 20 years, as the club look to cut costs during a period of economic downturn, the Daily Mail are reporting. This comes after the club announced they would be making 55 redundancies due to the financial difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Cagigao has played a huge part in the club's recruitment process over the past 20 years, famously suggesting signing a teenage Cesc Fabregas from the Barcelona academy in the early 2000s. Head of UK scouting Peter Clark and fellow recruitment specialist Brian McDermott could also potentially lose their positions, according to the Mail's report, but redundancies are still in a period of consultation. Arsenal have leant on super-agent Kia Joorabchian in recent windows for signings, with both Cedric Soares and David Luiz clients of his. Joorabchian also represents Willian and Philippe Coutinho, who are both reportedly close to signing for the Gunners with Willian in negotiations over a three-year contract after turning down an extension from Chelsea.