Mikel Arteta faces a major setback at Arsenal as the club’s award-winning director is reportedly set to depart.

Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, is reportedly set to depart the club after more than five years in his role at the Emirates. A former Gunners midfielder and member of the 2003-04 Invincibles squad, Edu returned to Arsenal as technical director in July 2019, just a few months prior to Mikel Arteta’s appointment as head coach.After three years, Edu was promoted to sporting director, becoming the first in Arsenal’s history to hold that position. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s rise from mid-table mediocrity to Premier League title contenders. His contributions have included high-profile transfers, such as bringing in Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, as well as securing long-term contracts for rising talents like Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and William Saliba. Edu himself was honored as Best European Director at the 2023 Golden Boy awards.According to the Daily Mail, Edu’s departure follows discussions with Arsenal’s hierarchy, though his exact reasons for leaving remain unclear. The report hints at possible internal restructuring but downplays suggestions of a power struggle. Separately, Sky Sports News notes that his decision came as a shock to the club. Edu, who has recently been in Brazil for personal reasons, is rumored to be a potential candidate for a role within Evangelos Marinakis’s sports empire, which includes Nottingham Forest, Rio Ave, and Olympiacos.Edu’s departure would be a significant loss for Arsenal. Once a divisive figure due to perceived transfer missteps, he later became essential to the club’s resurgence through strategic signings and contract negotiations. His exit now comes at a difficult time for Arteta and the team, as they have struggled on the field, taking only one point from their last three league matches. The situation draws parallels to the 2007 departure of former vice chairman David Dein, a close ally of Arsene Wenger, though whether Edu’s exit was amicable remains unknown.