Arsenal are closing in on the appointment of Arnaldo Abrantes as their new head doctor following the departure of Zafar Iqbal. Iqbal was informed of his dismissal just days after the Champions League final and left the club with immediate effect.
Arsenal Move Quickly for Replacement
The Gunners have wasted little time in seeking a replacement and have identified Abrantes as their top target. Talks have progressed, and there is growing expectation that Abrantes will be in place for the start of pre-season next month.
Abrantes will have plenty to contend with when he starts work at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. Many Arsenal players will be returning from a gruelling summer at the World Cup after a 63-match club season. Jurrien Timber has pulled out of the Netherlands' World Cup squad, while William Saliba is managing a back problem. Bukayo Saka is currently unable to train on consecutive days for England due to an Achilles injury. The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19, less than a month before Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Who is Arnaldo Abrantes?
Abrantes' sporting career began as a sprinter, following in the footsteps of his father, who competed for Portugal at the 1988 Olympics. He became a national champion in both the 100m and 200m and qualified to represent his country at the Olympics in Beijing and London.
Alongside his sprinting career, Abrantes attended medical school at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 2011. He specialised in sports medicine and joined Portuguese club Estoril as clinical director in 2017. Two years later, he was promoted to lead the medical and performance units.
Abrantes made his first move into English football in 2020, joining Sabri Lamouchi's backroom staff at Nottingham Forest as head of performance. He impressed there and caught the eye of Unai Emery, who brought him to Aston Villa in 2023 as head of medicine. The 39-year-old left Villa at the end of the season and is now in line to join Arsenal to lead efforts to improve the club's injury record.
There will be a familiar face for Abrantes at the Arsenal training ground: Carmen Marquez, who left her role as a doctor at Villa in January to join the Gunners.
