Jason who? Why Ayto could be person to save Arsenal’s season
Edu’s former right-hand man may have low profile but he is now leading crucial search for attacking reinforcements
One of the most powerful and important employees of Arsenal could probably take the Tube to Holloway Road, walk to the Emirates Stadium among thousands of supporters, sit in the ground for 90 minutes and return home without being recognised by anyone.
He could probably also enter one of the pubs where Arsenal fans discuss their team. He could listen to the debates about who should be bought or sold. He could hear the arguments about the forwards at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, and the strikers that must be signed, and leave without saying a word.
And then, when he gets back to work, Jason Ayto would continue to lead Arsenal’s transfer business and negotiations. The 39-year-old lives a professional life that is low profile but highly significant for one of England’s biggest clubs, for whom he is the interim sporting director.
Previously the right-hand man of Edu, who resigned in November, Ayto has been at the forefront of Arsenal’s transfer workings for the past few months. He cannot be found on any social media pages, and there is barely a mention of him on the club’s website. If you search for an image of him online, there are only two different results.
The contrast between Ayto and the man he replaced is enormous. Edu, an “Invincible” with Arsenal as a player, was one of the most recognisable figures at the club and one of the faces of the brand. On Instagram, the Brazilian has almost half a million followers. Ayto does not even have a public profile.
Within the club, though, Ayto’s status and influence cannot be questioned. It could even be argued that he is the single most important person at Arsenal, given their need for attacking reinforcements in the January window – which was made even more pressing by an injury to Gabriel Jesus during the FA Cup thirdround defeat by Manchester United on Sunday. Following Edu’s departure, Ayto is ultimately responsible for identifying and signing players for Arteta’s squad.
This window therefore represents a time of intense pressure for Ayto and his recruitment team, but also an opportunity. Ayto is in the running for the permanent sporting director position, and if he can excel at the job during this winter window, it would strengthen his case.
Ayto’s rise at Arsenal is testament to his considerable abilities and to the amount of change at the club over the past decade. He first joined in 2014 as a scout, and then gained significantly more responsibility after Edu overhauled the club’s scouting network in 2020. A fluent Portuguese speaker, Ayto helped Edu construct a more streamlined, data-savvy recruitment department after a series of high-profile scouts were made redundant.
As Ayto continued to develop, he was encouraged by Edu to focus on contact-building and networking. Such qualities would be crucial in his progression from a scouting role to the position of assistant sporting director. After all, being able to spot a talented player is just one part of the process. The next step is being able to strike a deal that brings them to Arsenal.
Two years ago, in the winter window of 2023, Telegraph Sport received word that Ayto – described by a source at the time as the “right hand of Edu” – had been sent to Spain for talks over a player, and to watch a match with the target’s representatives. It was a major indication that Edu was happy to delegate responsibility to Ayto, even if Arsenal eventually decided not to push ahead with that deal.
Another sign of Ayto’s growing status was his involvement in the arrival of Jurrien Timber from Ajax in the summer of 2023. When Timber and his family arrived in London, Ayto stood alongside Edu to greet them as they disembarked from the plane in front of the club’s cameras. It is one of the few sightings of Ayto in any club media.
Those who have worked with Ayto describe him as an open and approachable figure, but he can be firm when needed. Crucially, he earned the respect of Arteta. “Edu and I probably got a lot of the praise, but the work behind it is done by this guy and Jason has been phenomenal,” said the Arsenal manager in November.
Ayto is not solely responsible for Arsenal’s transfer business in this window, of course. Arteta himself plays a huge role, while Ayto also has the support of managing director Richard Garlick. The recruitment team around Ayto have not changed since Edu left, either. Ayto can work only within the club’s financial limitations. A successful window for Arsenal therefore requires them to identify the right player at a price that does not overly damage their balance sheet. A tough ask but Ayto has the opportunity to establish himself as one of the big dealmakers in the European game.