The bombshell news of Arsenal sporting director Edu’s departure is still being processed around the club.
Mail Sport broke the story on Monday morning, with the Brazilian leaving to join a new role with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as global head of football in a multi-club operation, which includes 47-time Greek champions Olympiakos and Portuguese side Rio Ave.
It has shocked staff; the untimely nature lingered its way around the travelling party to Milan ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Inter Milan. The 46-year-old is popular around the club, his charming persona having connected different aspects of the institution together for the past five years.
For the north London club, attention has been swiftly switched to what is next.
But, as in all facets of business, and particularly football,go on. It’s understood that Edu has been placed on, what is effectively, gardening leave for the next six months.
Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Monday that sporting director Edu has left Arsenal
The news of the influential Brazilian’s departure has come as a hammer blow to the Gunners
The Brazilian is leaving to join a new role with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as global head of football in a multi-club operation that also includes Olympiakos and Rio Ave
He said his farewells to players and staff on Tuesday at the London Colney training base, ending an association at the club which saw him win the Premier League as an Invincible in 2004 before later becoming technical director in 2019 — and rising to the position of sporting director.
In an executive capacity, Edu had the unique perspective of having played for the club. It helped him marry footballing acumen with the capacity to deal with complicated player contract negotiations.
Mail Sport understands that factors which contributed to Edu leaving were being able to work remotely in a global role and visit Brazil more frequently; he has family in the country.
The club are not willing to rush appointing a new sporting director — a process which they are understood to be happy to finalise at the end of the season, if necessary.
In the meantime, assistant sporting director Jason Ayto will be given an interim role with a focus on the men’s team. Edu’s remit covered the men’s, women’s and academy sides, so it remains to be seen who will cover those other aspects for now.
The Arsenal executives are travelling to Los Angeles over the upcoming international break to meet with co-chair Josh Kroenke and plot the rest of the season, and assess who is suitable to take on Edu’s post. Sporting directors come in all different moulds, from ex-players to ex-scouts, so options from across Europe are set to be considered.
The rise of Ayto has been particularly marked. He joined the club in 2014 as a video analyst scout — a role which was quite rare across UK football clubs at the time.
Ayto caught the attention of Edu, who saw something in the 39-year-old to fast-track him and make him recruitment coordinator before progressing to assistant sporting director in April 2023.
Assistant sporting director Jason Ayto will be given an interim role in charge of the men’s team
The Arsenal executives are travelling to Los Angeles over the upcoming international break to meet with co-chair Josh Kroenke (pictured left, with his father Stan, also owner and co-chair)
It fits into the Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) ethos of promoting younger people into key positions. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (42) and LA Rams head coach Sean McVay (38), for example, are young for their posts.
It’s a tricky time at Arsenal, in light of a poor set of recent results. They have lost two on the bounce after their 1-0 defeat by Inter Milan on Wednesday and are already lagging five points behind Manchester City in the league table.
The immediate departure of Edu adds to a mixed feeling around the club which has not been felt in some time.
At the end of last season, there was disappointment at missing out on the league title once again, but an acceptance of a strong campaign across the board — and a belief they would be at the fore next time around.
Whereas now, there are question marks on a playing front and a fresh gap in the executive branch.
The return of Martin Odegaard, who has missed 12 matches with an ankle injury, will go some way to rectifying the sheer lack of creativity in the midfield.
His inclusion alone, though, won’t solve all the Gunners’ woes, no matter how good the backline. Mikel Merino has yet to fully find his best place in the line-up and, from an attacking perspective, the threat in front of goal has dried up of late.
From here on in, if Man City go on to hit their expected gears, Arsenal can’t really afford any slips up — if they are to stay in title contention.
For now, though, the Gunners executives’ focus is on life after Edu.
