Arsenal head of recruitment leaving club

London - Arsenal announced on Monday that head of recruitment Sven Mislintat would be leaving the Premier League club next month.

In a statement on their website, Arsenal said the German, who has been in his position for less than 14 months, had "done a truly outstanding job".

Mislintat, who was appointed in the final months of Arsene Wenger's reign, will leave on February 8, the Gunners said.

"It's been an amazing experience to work at a great club like Arsenal in what has been a big time of change," he said.

"I am excited about what the future holds for the club and am looking forward to new challenges for myself."

Arsenal hailed Mislintat as one of Europe's "most respected player recruitment experts" when he joined the club from Borussia Dortmund.

The club said he was credited with creating the pipeline of talent at the Bundesliga club that developed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, now with Arsenal, Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembele.

Unai Emery's Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 on Saturday to close to within three points of their London neighbours, who are in fourth place in the Premier League.

Aside from Aubameyang other players to have joined Arsenal during 46-year-old Mislintat's spell there include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another former Dortmund player, who moved from Manchester United in January 2018 as Alexis Sanchez went in the opposite direction.

Defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was another arrival from Dortmund, while Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Matteo Guendouzi have all become integral members of Emery's starting XI.

Weekend reports suggested former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars could come into the club as Mislintat's successor.