Arsenal have identified former midfielder Edu as the outstanding candidate to replace Sven Mislintat after news emerged that the German is set to leave the club. Mislintat arrived from Borussia Dortmund barely a year ago as Arsenal’s head of recruitment, but, following the departure of Ivan Gazidis, is said to have become concerned by his lack of influence over transfer policy. The club have been restricted to loan signings in January, and pursuits of Denis Suarez and Ever Banega have been driven by manager Unai Emery rather than Mislintat.
The 46-year-old feared his power would diminish even further as Arsenal looked to bring in a sporting director to work above him, having been overlooked for the role himself. Now The Independent report that Edu is the frontrunner for the job, and would absorb Mislintat’s responsibilities in the process, and Arsenal have already held talks with the Brazilian.
As well as having a say in transfers, the sporting director will have influence over the side’s style of play, coaching practices and academy. Arsenal are said to be incredibly impressed with Edu’s work as technical director of the Brazil national team, with the Selecao frequently coming to north London to play friendlies at the Emirates.
Edu joined Arsenal from Corinthians in 2001 and was part of the Invincibles team that went 49 games unbeaten, making 30 league appearances and scoring twice. Despite being in talks with Edu, losing Mislintat would still be considered a massive blow for Arsenal and he is already being lined up by Bayern Munich to lead a massive squad overhaul as they look to inject fresh blood into their ageing team.
