Arsenal academy chief Per Mertesacker is being linked with a return to Germany.

Hansi Flick's side were dramatically knocked out of the World Cup group stages, failing to recover from their shock loss to Japan, despite drawing with Spain and beating Costa Rica.

The 2014 world champions have won only twice in the competition since their last triumph in Brazil and there have been calls for a root-and-stem rebuild before the 2024 European Championships.

Germany will host the tournament and the DFB are reportedly looking to overhaul their management structure as they desperately seek an improvement.

Managing director Oliver Bierhoff has resigned and, according to Sky Deutschland, Mertesacker is a candidate to help replace him.

The former Arsenal defender has been working with the club's academy since 2018 and could be targeted for a role within the DFB that focuses on the development of young German talent.