The decision to leave Arsenal by sporting director Edu Gaspar not only raises questions about the reason, it also makes fans doubt Mikel Arteta's ability to be self-reliant. When Arteta renewed his contract last September, Edu stressed the importance of stability in the goal of taking the team to new heights.
However, Edu has now suddenly parted ways with Arsenal and that stability is becoming a big question mark. Edu is likely to move to Nottingham Forest and participate in running clubs in the multinational system of owner Evangelos Marinakis, including Olympiacos and Rio Ave. Mikel Arteta will play an important role in choosing Edu's replacement.
The strong relationship between Arteta and Edu in the process of rebuilding the squad has brought many successes, taking the "Gunners" from depending on older players with high salaries such as Aubameyang and Ozil, to becoming a young, enthusiastic team with pillars such as Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal can argue that the team's leadership at the moment can still bring stability. However, the timing of Edu's decision to leave is not favorable and could cause instability for the Emirates team. Previously, The Gunners have always affirmed Edu's important role and that losing him would affect the structure of the team.
In addition, the departure of CEO Vinai Venkatesham, who was very close to Edu, also caused some turmoil. Some even said that Edu had wanted to be the CEO of Arsenal but things did not work out that way. Moreover, Richard Garlick's role as CEO also puts Edu in a passive position. This could be the reason for Edu's feeling of no longer being suitable and his decision to leave the club.
Edu's decision to leave has created more challenges for Arteta. Currently, Mikel Arteta's team is in 5th place in the rankings and 7 points behind leaders Liverpool. Arsenal must overcome this gap if they want to conquer the Premier League title, something only Man City have done in recent seasons.
Liverpool have unexpectedly become a direct competitor, while in the last 2 seasons, the championship has been a two-horse race between Arsenal and Man City. This has further increased the pressure on Arteta, especially since he has not had any significant achievements other than the FA Cup title in the 2019-2020 season.
Although we cannot judge the Spanish strategist only by the number of titles, the reality is that Arsenal have spent nearly 600 million pounds since 2019 and Mikel Arteta has not been able to bring The Gunners to the top of English football.
Edu's departure will increase skepticism from fans and even the increasing amount of criticism. Arteta joined Arsenal in December 2019, while Edu arrived in June of the same year. Two years ago, there was information that Edu could leave the Emirates when he received an attractive invitation, but Arteta publicly wanted Edu to stay because of his influence at the club.
Arsenal are trying to make a positive statement about Edu's departure, but the reality of this loss is huge. Now, all eyes are on Arteta and how he faces the challenges ahead.
