Arsenal have appointed Fulham's James Ellis to their recruitment team ahead of the new season, according to reports from Football Insider.

Ellis had been working as a senior scout at Craven Cottage since 2015 but has accepted an offer to link up with the Gunners as part of a new-look scouting network.

As part of his remit at the Emirates Stadium, Football Insider have revealed that Ellis will be responsible for scouting the UK for potential addition as the North London side look to strengthen their squad over the coming years.

Given that his role at Fulham was based in the UK and Ireland, it seems that this would be an ideal opportunity to step back into the Premier League.

This could be a significant blow to the Whites as they prepare for life back in the Championship.

With Fulham challenging for promotion next term they face a big obstacle as they adapt to life under a new head coach in Marco Silva who replaced Scott Parker in the hotseat.

With the club's senior scout now moving on as well it means that there's plenty of work to do for the club to adapt to the new challenge, both on and off the pitch.

The verdict

This is a great move for James Ellis.

The senior scout has spent six years with Fulham and played a key role in the club's recruitment efforts during that time.

With Arsenal setting up a new scouting structure under technical director Edu, it means that Ellis has a big opportunity to establish himself with one of the Premier League's biggest clubs.

For Fulham this will be a blow and means that they'll likely have to find someone to slot into the vacant position.