Arsenal draw up sporting director plans

Arsenal have drawn up plans to secure a new sporting director next year, according to The Guardian.

The Gunners are on the lookout for Edu’s successor, but they won’t rush the decsion. It’s thought that his deputy, Jason Ayto, has taken over from the Brazilian until a new man is appointed.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted before Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Inter that Edu leaving took everyone by surprise and “everything happened very quickly”.

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Edu is expected to join the multi-club network of Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, on a reported £5 million a year.

Arteta is anticipated to be a central figure in the decision-making process regarding Arsenal’s future appointments and will work with Tim Lewis, Arsenal’s executive vice-chair, and Richard Garlick, who was promoted from director of football operations to managing director over the summer.

No specific candidate has been chosen but the aim is to bring in someone who can work hand-in-hand with Arteta.

During the upcoming international break, Arsenal’s hierarchy will meet with owner Stan Kroenke and his son Josh, who serves as co-chair, in the United States. This meeting will focus on next summer’s transfer window strategy.

Despite a challenging start to the season, which sees them trailing Liverpool by seven points, Arsenal is not expected to make significant investments in January unless injuries to key players necessitate it.

Edu key to Arsenal’s transfer policy

While Arteta has dealt with Arsenal’s on-field rise, much of the groundwork for the Spaniard has been conducted by Edu, who played for the club more than 200 times during his stint as a player between 2001-05.

The club’s former sporting director worked shrewdly, not only landing impressive signings but knowing when to back off when Arsenal faced being ripped off by clubs trying to extort them.

Backing out of the Mykhailo Mudryk deal in January 2022 to allow the Shakhtar Donetsk winger to sign for Chelsea was a particular masterstroke, as it made Arsenal look a little silly at the time but has paid off amply given the Ukraine star’s struggles in the Premier League.

Edu also refused to pay over the odds for the likes of Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko this summer, deeming the €100 million valuations of their respective clubs to be too great.