Bayer Leverkusen man agrees to join Arsenal as Club as Arteta begins talks to spend £80million in the January transfer window
Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t won any of their three previous league games, and Arsenal will need to show a strong reaction away to Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Of course, Edu won’t be around to see the conclusion of that campaign, with his departure now confirmed.
Edu is being lined up for a role with Evangelos Marinakis, the Nottingham Forest owner who also owns Olympiacos and Rio Ave as part of his footballing group.
Arsenal will consider internal candidates to replace Edu
In terms of finding a replacement for Edu, sources have told Arsenal Insider that the club are biding their time, and are even considering in-house options.
Arsenal have known about Edu’s decision for a little while now and their replacement could be an international option, rather than the club welcoming a new profile entirely.
In terms of the timing of Edu’s announcement, the club would have preferred the Brazilian to wait until the end of the season, in similar fashion Txiki Begiristain at Manchester City.
Begiristain has helped City find their replacement sporting director, whereas Edu is seemingly itching to leave as soon as he can.
Arsenal weren’t planning a big spend in the January transfer window anyway, but Edu’s decision won’t affect their plans in that regard.
Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes is liked at Arsenal
As mentioned, Arsenal are yet to seriously consider any external appointments, however the club have taken a liking to Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes in the past.
That interest existed before any wind of Edu’s decision, and it remains to be seen whether the club would be interested in making a move for Rolfes now.
The 42-year-old is someone most of Europe’s top clubs respect and admire, meaning it’s no real surprise that he’s liked in north London.
After the weekend’s football, Gary Neville still tipped Arsenal to win the title-race, explaining that their difficult run could provoke a strong reaction.
But it would be interesting to hear Neville’s thoughts on the Gunners doing so without Edu, who has been integral to their recent success alongside Arteta.
