How Paulo Xavier can be the key to unlock Arsenal's future

Reports have confirmed that Arsenal have poached Paulo Xavier, a scout who was integral to Real Madrid's South American scouting network.

Xavier's role for the Gunners has already begun, which will involve scouting the South American continent along with two of the club's other scouts.

Before his time at Real Madrid, Xavier had a brief stint at Manchester United and, before then, spent two years working for the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) alongside Arsenal's current sporting director, Edu Gaspar - who was the driving force behind the appointment of Xavier.

Off-field appointments, aside from managers, often go unnoticed in football, but Xavier's arrival in north London could prove to be hugely beneficial for the club long-term, and unlock a much brighter future for the team.

What he brings to the club

Xavier is a highly regarded scout and has spent the best part of six years working alongside some of the best scouts in world football at Real Madrid.

During his time with the Spanish giants, he was part of the team that identified global stars like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and, more recently, Endrick - who was among the most highly sought-after stars in football, let alone South America.

He is also highly respected in the continent, especially within Brazil, which could be an important factor in convincing promising young talents to join Arsenal in the years ahead.

Arsenal's South American dream

Arsenal have invested in numerous players from the South American market, particularly from Brazil, over the last few years.

Gabriel Martinelli, Marquinhos and Pablo Mari have all signed from Brazilian clubs in recent years and had been linked to the likes of Vitor Roque, Endrick and Gabriel Moscardo - which signals a clear intent from the club to capitalise on the promise within South America.

Clearly the club have identified this market as being great value, and the appointment of Xavier could go a long way to making the most of said value.

The right path to follow?

For me, this is absolutely an avenue that the club should be looking to explore further, and this appointment has me very excited about potential future stars that we could uncover for ourselves, rather than watching the rest of Europe's elite relish with their wonder kids.

The story of Martinelli is proof of the value in South America, and the hidden gems that it is possible to unearth, and the perfect reason to invest more into scouting this region.

Xavier has a proven track record and, working with his former colleague (Edu) in a region that he has the utmost familiarity with, there is no reason why he cannot revolutionise Arsenal's South American scouting department.