Open Extended Reactions When Arsenal announced Mikel Arteta had signed a new contract on Sept. 12, the Premier League club's manager was effusive in his praise of sporting director Edu Gaspar. "He was the first one to knock on my door before I joined, and he made a big call to put all the trust he had in me to drive this massive boat in the direction and the way we both had a vision to do it -- and it's been pivotal," Arteta said.
"Our relationship has been incredibly strong, very honest, very transparent and I'm very grateful for that." At the same time, Edu reciprocated that sentiment. "We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together," he said.
"Mikel's new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights." But on Monday, less than two months later, the Gunners announced that Edu had resigned. Sources have told ESPN he is set to head up Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis' multiclub model, which includes Greece's Olympiacos and Portugal's Rio Ave.
But how key a figure has Edu been for Arsenal? Why are they losing him in such unexpected fashion? And where will they go from here? How important was Edu to Arsenal? Edu joined the club in 2019 after spending three years working with the Brazil national team as their technical director. With Edu having made 127 appearances for Arsenal as a midfielder in the "Invincibles" squad that won the 2003-04 Premier League title without losing a game, his appointment was gre.