Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers signs new long-term contract
Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new contract until 2029.
Slegers’ deal to be named permanent head coach in January 2025 was set to expire at the end of the season.
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“I am delighted to have signed a new contract here, because I believe we have a lot to achieve together this season and in the years to come,” Slegers said in a press release.
Arsenal also announced on Friday that Jodie Taylor had been appointed technical director. The 39-year-old former England international had two spells at the club as a player before moving into the role of head of technical services following her retirement in 2023. Director of women’s football Clare Wheatley said Taylor would “continue to progress” in the new role.
“Building on the strong foundation already in place, we want to nurture a high-performance environment in which our players, Renee and the entire staff have the right tools and the best possible environment to perform at the highest level,” Taylor said.
Slegers joined Arsenal from FC Rosengard in 2023 and left her role as assistant coach to take charge on an interim basis following the departure of Jonas Eidevall in October 2024. She was given the head coaching role permanently after going undefeated in her first 11 games in charge.
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Arsenal won the Champions League by beating Barcelona in the final in their first season. The north London side became the first English team to win the competition since their triumph in 2007.
“Renee has embraced Arsenal’s values and ambitions, driving standards and progress as we aim to compete consistently at the top of the women’s game,” added Richard Garlick, CEO of Arsenal.
Arsenal have won just two of their opening five WSL matches this season and are behind Manchester City by eight points. Athletics reported in November, disjointed performances had highlighted broader cultural and structural issues.
Multiple sources close to the team, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated that locker room unrest had persisted for several years, with a small group of players wielding significant influence. Questions have also been raised over Slegers’ player management skills and the pathway to the first team for young players. Slegers addressed the report in December, highlighting that Arsenal is a “high performance environment” and that the club is doing “really good things” internally.
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Arsenal return to action against Manchester United on Saturday.
What does this mean for Arsenal?
Analysis by Megan Feringa and Charlotte Harpur
The extension of Slegers’ contract and its duration is a show of faith and intent from the Arsenal hierarchy towards the young manager.
The Dutchwoman entered the 2025-2026 season with her stock at an all-time high after clinching the Champions League title. Talks over a new contract began this summer, but Slegers began the new campaign in the final year of his contract, so completing the deal provides stability for all parties.
The 36-year-old is considered emotionally intelligent and tactically astute, but has faced challenges this season. Arsenal failed to make the most of their chances and draws against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham proved costly.
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Slegers said after the goalless draw against Spurs that expectations may have been different ahead of next season. The Champions League triumph showed what they could do at their best, but Slegers took into account that they had to remain “humble” as it was a “unique case”.
Concerns have been raised behind the scenes that the wider strategy underpinning the women’s football project is not working as smoothly as it should be. Following his departure in October 2025, Slegers’ predecessor Jonas Eidevall told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet this time last year that he saw the absence of a sporting director to work as a daily “evacuation” and a reason why he left the club.
As the new technical director, Taylor, a pragmatic and strategic operator, will be closer to the dressing room and Slegers’ daily direct point of contact. Taylor’s role is to act as a conduit to ensure greater connection between the recruiting, analytics and technical departments that was previously lacking. The former Arsenal player, holder of her UEFA A coaching license, has been in this position for six months already and knows how Arsenal works very well.
As director of women’s soccer, Wheatley steps away from day-to-day operations and will oversee heads of departments such as medical, operational and technical services. His role is to sustain the team and take a seat at the table to influence conversations with different stakeholders at national and international levels. Wheatley, who attends fortnightly recruitment meetings, will still report to club CEO Richard Garlick.
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One of the key tasks ahead of us is rebuilding the team. Arsenal have several players aged 30 and over and have at least six players, including captain Kim Little, Leah Williamson, Caitlin Foord, Katie McCabe, Beth Mead and Manuela Zinsberger, whose contracts expire in six months. Discussions are reportedly progressing well with Little and Williamson.
Meanwhile, Mariona Caldentey and Kyra Cooney-Cross have had their options triggered, keeping them at the club until 2027.
This article was originally published in The Athletic.
Arsenal, women’s football
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