Arsenal are pursuing a deal to appoint Borussia Dortmund’s chief scout Sebastian Krug, with the north London club prepared to pay a substantial sum to secure his services.
The Gunners have reportedly held discussions regarding the appointment of the highly-rated scout at the Emirates Stadium, where he would work alongside sporting director Andrea Berta as part of a planned restructuring of the club’s football operations.
Krug has established a strong reputation throughout European football for his work at the German club.
The 37-year-old was instrumental in identifying and securing the signings of forwards Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, both of whom departed Signal Iduna Park for significant fees that highlighted his eye for talent.
According to reports from Sky Germany, preliminary talks regarding a potential switch to Arsenal have already taken place in London.
The Premier League runners-up are determined to finalise the appointment, which would see Krug link up with Berta in a partnership designed to build on the club’s recent domestic success and make further progress in European competition.
However, Arsenal face significant obstacles in their pursuit.
German publication Bild reports that Borussia Dortmund are resolved to retaining a key member of their recruitment department.
Sources suggest the Bundesliga club have not yet received any official communication regarding the interest, leaving those in charge in a position of calm regarding the situation.
Any club wishing to prize Krug away would need to table what has been described as an exceptionally generous offer.
Arsenal previously conducted transfer business with the same German club when they appointed Sven Mislintat in 2017.
The north London club paid approximately £1.8 million to acquire his services, with Mislintat remaining at the Emirates until February 2019.
During his tenure, he played a significant role in bringing several players to north London, including goalkeeper Bernd Leno, striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Following his departure from Arsenal, Mislintat has continued his career in football administration.
He held senior positions at Stuttgart and Ajax before returning to his former club Dortmund in 2024 as technical director and head of scouting.
He most recently served as sporting chief executive at Fortuna Düsseldorf, departing that role during the current summer window.
Arsenal have been active in strengthening their squad during the transfer window, completing permanent signings for defender Piero Hincapie, goalkeeper Illan Meslier, forward Christos Tzolis, and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
The club enter the new season as Premier League champions, having finished runners-up in the previous campaign before securing the title with a strong finish.