Arsenal handed blow as sporting director Edu decides to leave Emirates: Reports

Arsenal have been dealt a new blow as sporting director Edu has decided to leave the Emirates Stadium, as per reports. The former Gunners midfielder transitioned into a recruitment role after he retired from the sport, eventually returning to the club where he played for five seasons.

With Arsenal going through a transition phase of their own, due to Arsene Wenger's exit, they signed Edu as their first-ever technical director in 2019. In 2022, he became their first-ever sporting director. After five years at the helm of the club's transfer activities, he is now expected to leave.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, the sporting chief has finalized his decision. It is uncertain why he has opted for an exit, with the report claiming that he had been in talks with the senior leadership at the Emirates Stadium. It also claims that a power struggle was unlikely to have been the cause behind Edu's decision, but rather, a "reshuffle in responsibilities".

Edu became well-known after he worked closely with manager Mikel Arteta to mastermind moves for some of Arsenal's most important players, including Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. He was also vital in getting rid of the old guard, as players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette left the club.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speaks about 1-0 loss to Newcastle

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has opened up about their 1-0 loss to Newcastle United. The two sides faced off for their Premier League clash at St. James' Park on November 2, with the Magpies coming out victorious.

In a conversation with Premier League Productions, the manager said (via CNBC TV18):

"We deserved to lose today. I thought we started really well and were really dominant. We didn't defend the box well enough. Credit to them. They scored a great goal with a good ball. Then the game changes and you start to play a different game.

"You have to adapt and we didn't do that well enough. I am very frustrated. We got dragged into a game they are looking for constantly and we couldn't play the game that we wanted."

Arsenal have struggled to find their feet in recent times, having gone three Premier League games without a win. They lost 2-0 to Bournemouth away from home on October 19, followed that up with a 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool, and now, a 1-0 loss to Newcastle.

Mikel Arteta will hope he can turn things around, with their next league match coming against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on November 10.