Xavier has been with Los Blancos since September 2017, during which time the capital club has won two more Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles.
Xavier worked in Real Madrid’s Latin America section, but according to The Athletic, he has left the club to pursue a new challenge with Arsenal.
According to the article, Xavier has already begun working for the Gunners and will be based in South America with another pair of scouts, reuniting with former colleague Edu.
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Between 2015 and 2017, the pair worked together at the Brazilian Football Confederation, where Edu – one of Arsenal’s Invincibles – was the general coordinator.
Edu departed his post as Selecao in 2019 to become Arsenal’s technical director before being elevated to sporting director in 2022, and the 45-year-old was instrumental in luring Xavier to North London.
Xavier previously played for Manchester United before joining Real Madrid, and his arrival will help Arsenal’s aspirations to bring in more quality talent from South America.
The Gunners have completed a pair of remarkable signings from Brazil in recent years, first luring a then-18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano for just £6 million in 2019.
The winger has now made 150 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, scoring 37 goals and providing 22 assists for Mikel Arteta’s side while also representing Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.
Arsenal used their South American connections once more in the summer of 2022 to recruit another Brazilian winger, Marquinhos, who scored and assisted on his debut in a 2-1 Europa League win over FC Zurich.
The 20-year-old has failed to kick on since that dream debut, though, spending the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan with Norwich City before joining Ligue 1 side Nantes on a temporary basis for the 2023-24 campaign.
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