The Athletic reports that Gabriel Heinze, who has managed Godoy Cruz, Atlanta United, and Newell's Old Boys since retiring from playing, will join Mikel Arteta's coaching staff at Arsenal ahead of the new season. Heinze excelled as a defender for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Argentina, among others, during his distinguished playing career.

As a former centre-back and left-back with an impressive resume, Heinze has won league titles in England, Spain, and France, secured Olympic gold with Argentina in 2004, and earned 72 caps for his country, including appearances in two World Cups. Arteta and Heinze were teammates at PSG during the 2001-02 season. Heinze will integrate into an Arsenal team that includes assistant Albert Stuivenberg, set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana.

In 2024, Arteta reflected on his PSG days: "The other inspirations were Mauricio Pochettino and Heinze; those two were always by my side, guiding me in every aspect of my professional life and helping me understand the game—they were truly inspirational to me."

Heinze is set to link up with Arteta and Arsenal during their pre-season camp, starting with training in Spain, followed by an Asian tour in late July featuring matches against AC Milan, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal's Premier League season will then begin at Manchester United on August 17.