Arsenal sporting director Edu reveals how his ‘unpopular decisions’ helped build a new foundation at the club as he claims the squad was full of players who were too old, overpaid and not performing when he arrived in 2019

Edu asserts that his “unpopular decisions” have played a pivotal role in steering Arsenal back on course in the last five years.

The former Gunners midfielder returned to the club in July 2019 as its inaugural technical director and has since ascended to the position of sporting director.

When Edu joined, Arsenal had just concluded the 2018-19 Premier League season in fifth place.

The Gunners finished eighth in the subsequent two seasons, during which the first team underwent extensive changes. Under manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal climbed to fifth again in the 2021-22 season, then secured second place in the last two seasons.

In a recent conversation with Men In Blazers, Edu detailed how he and his staff have notably decreased the average age of the Arsenal first team while also moving on several high-earning players.

Edu, 46, during a recent interview with Men In Blazers

While in the USA for Arsenal’s pre-season tour, Edu remarked: ‘In football, sometimes you must make straightforward decisions, even if they’re unpopular. You have to firmly believe in your ideas and what’s best for the club’s future.’

‘When I arrived, I evaluated the squad’s balance, positions, and the players’ ages. These three factors are crucial.’

‘First, we must consider the player’s age. Then, we must evaluate their salary, and finally, consider their performance. A player over 26 or 27 merits scrutiny. If they’re on a high salary and not performing, that’s problematic.’

‘However, if a 27- or 28-year-old player commands a big salary and delivers results, that’s acceptable. What isn’t acceptable is when a player over 28 fails to meet these three criteria. That’s a sign you should consider moving them on, as they may hinder younger, promising talent.’

Edu next to manager Mikel Arteta during a December 2019 game

‘When I arrived at Arsenal, the majority of the squad was composed of players over 26 or 27, earning high salaries but underperforming. If you have all three of these traits, which club would want to buy our players? None.’

‘So how do you tackle this challenge? You need to be firm, even if it means parting with those players, or your project could take an extra three to six years.’

‘Thus, unpopular decisions were required. Many of these players had fans and media support, but sometimes retaining them isn’t healthy for the club.’

‘At the beginning, I observed that all players in the squad bore those three characteristics. I said, “We need to refresh this squad, with all due respect, to lay a new foundation. From there, we should recruit younger players with lower salaries, who have better potential and the ambition to help us achieve our goals.”

Arteta and Edu after signing Declan Rice last summer

So far this summer, Arsenal has secured two first-team players.

The Gunners have finalized the permanent transfer of 28-year-old goalkeeper David Raya, transitioning from his loan agreement, and have acquired 22-year-old defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna.