The Independent are reporting that Terry Burton, who is the current assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday, looks set to take over as Arsenal’s reserve team manager following the promotion of Neil Banfield to Arsène Wenger’s first-team coaching staff. Of particular interest is that Burton had a brief spell as a player at Arsenal, captaining the 1971 FA Cup-winning youth team, and was also a reserve coach at the club during the 1980s under Don Howe and George Graham. He was responsible for bringing the likes of Tony Adams through the Arsenal academy.

Most of Arsenal’s youth-team players will be returning to the club within the next week or two for pre-season training, so Arsenal will want to get a new reserve manager installed as soon as possible. However, Sheffield Wednesday’s chairman, Milan Mandaric, has spoken of his desire to keep Burton at the club, as he is a seen as a valuable member of Dave Jones’s coaching staff. Burton has already had an interview with Arsenal, although Mandaric is hoping that he decides to reject any offer from the club.

“My understanding is that they [Arsenal] would like to take him back there.

“I would not be happy if he goes. He is tremendously respected in football as a coach and a person. I would like him to stay at the club.

“This shows the quality of the man. We’ll see what happens. It would be his decision.

“I’m quite sure Dave Jones doesn’t want to lose him. We don’t want him to go, but if he does, that’s life.

“I rate him very highly as a person and a man, and we have a good management and coaching team.”

Promoting Banfield to the first-team and putting Steve Bould in place as Arsenal’s new assistant manager following Pat Rice’s retirement see’s the biggest shuffle of backroom staff since Wenger joined the club. It will be very interesting to see what effect this has on the club and the way that the team is set up.