Arsenal’s sporting director, Brazilian Edu Gaspar, will be leaving the club in a move that’s taken the Gunners by surprise.

Edu, who was behind key signings like Martin Odegaard, David Raya, Martinelli (whom he brought up from Brazil’s youth leagues), and Declan Rice, first joined Arsenal in 2019 as technical director before being promoted to sporting director in 2022.

He has a close relationship with Mikel Arteta, who also joined Arsenal in 2019, and together they rebuilt a club that had been missing out on Champions League action for years, turning them into title contenders and securing second place in the last two Premier League seasons.

According to English media, the reason for Edu’s departure is unclear, though he’s rumored to be considering a directorial role within Evangelos Marinakis’s club conglomerate, which includes Nottingham Forest, Rio Ave, and Olympiacos. Edu also has a history with Arsenal as a player, spending four seasons with the Gunners, making 79 appearances, and winning their last league title in the "Invincibles" season of 2003-2004.