Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as sporting director in March, to much fanfare given his successful stint at Atlético Madrid. The Italian, a former finance professional, oversaw over £250m in summer spending, bringing in Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Berta leads recruitment in consultation with chief executive Richard Garlick, manager Mikel Arteta and co-chair Josh Kroenke, while James Ellis serves as technical director focusing on player progression.
Aston Villa's Roberto Olabe, appointed president of football operations in October, works closely with manager Unai Emery and director of football operations Damian Vidagany. Olabe, a former goalkeeper, earned acclaim at Real Sociedad for deals involving Alexander Isak, Martin Ødegaard and Martín Zubimendi. Despite Olabe's role, Emery remains the key decision-maker at Villa.
Bournemouth's Tiago Pinto became the club's first president of football operations towards the end of the 2023-24 season, succeeding Richard Hughes. He collaborates with technical director Simon Francis and chief executive Neill Blake. Pinto has brokered sales of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo for over £150m, acknowledging the difficulty of retaining players when big clubs come calling.
Brentford's Phil Giles, director of football since 2015, is the architect of the club's data-driven success. With a background in mathematics and statistics, Giles oversaw the promotion of set-piece coach Keith Andrews as manager last summer following Thomas Frank's departure. Giles, known as a tough negotiator, handles squad planning and recruitment alongside technical director Lee Dykes.
Brighton appointed Jason Ayto as sporting director after Edu Gaspar's departure. Ayto, who had been interim sporting director, now oversees all footballing areas, including the club's data-driven recruitment strategy developed by former technical director David Weir.
