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Former Arsenal favourite set for QUICK Premier League return
Tom Weber
- Updated: 13 Sept 2025 13:12 BST
- 4 min read
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Former Arsenal chief Jason Ayto is the favourite to become the new technical director at Brighton.
Formerly the right-hand man of ex-sporting director Edu at Arsenal, Ayto took the Brazilian's place in the interim when he took charge of Evangelos Marinakis' budding footballing empire, which includes Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave.
Although Ayto did not occupy the role of interim sporting director for long, he was crucial in masterminding the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, which was essentially wrapped up over the winter before being announced this summer.
Ayto had managed to work his way up the ranks at Arsenal over the course of a 10-year spell, which ultimately came to an end in May when the club decided against making him the permanent sporting director.
He was replaced by Andrea Berta, who went on to oversee a transfer window in which Arsenal accumulated the biggest net spend in world football.
Ayto set for Brighton job
Ayto now looks poised for a swift return to the Premier League as he has emerged as the favourite to replace David Weir at Brighton. The 55-year-old was surprisingly relieved of his duties as technical director on Friday.
“David has served our club very well, but we now wish to refresh our technical area with new leadership and direction," Seagulls owner Tony Bloom explained the decision. "I would like to thank David for everything he has done for us, and to wish him well for the future.”
The Daily Mail reported on Friday that Ayto is in pole position to replace Weir, and this has now been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano. Talks over a contract have already taken place.
Ayto will have big shows to fill, however, as Weir had built up a sparkling reputation at Brighton for overseeing the club's smart recruitment in recent years.
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