Big blow for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as Edu makes surprise exit and prepares for immediate new role

Arsenal sporting director Edu will make a surprise exit from the club.

education has been a key ally for Mikel Arteta to help him build a team that can challenge for the Premier League title.

the first Arsenal The midfielder – a member of the 2003/2004 Invincibles squad – is currently considered one of the top sporting directors in world football.

The Brazilian returned to the club as manager in 2019 and, together with Arteta, once again turned the club into a Premier League force, while they also won the FA Cup in 2020.

Edu, promoted to become his first sporting director in 2022, has played a key role in recruiting players who have become crucial members of Arteta's team, including Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and William Saliba.

The 46-year-old also got rid of several big-paid players, including Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

First reported by the mailThe reasons for his departure are currently unclear, although there have been significant changes behind the scenes at the Emirates over the past 12 months.

Vinai Venkatesham stepped down as CEO in the summer and Richard Garlick took over as CEO.

James King was recently announced as Garlick's replacement as director of football operations.

Edu's departure follows Arsenal's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday.

It is understood that it is his decision to leave office.

The Gunners face Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and Arteta will be questioned on the matter when he holds his press conference on Tuesday.

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Edu was pictured alongside Arteta when the club announced he had signed a new long-term contract in September.

Arteta then said of the cohesion at the club: “I feel very proud, very excited and I'm looking forward to what comes next. I'm proud to be where I am and to have the relationship I have with everyone at the club.

“I feel very lucky to work every day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do so much more than we have already done together.

“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we look forward to the coming years, with our fans, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our followers have transformed people and now we are different. It shows that we are different and for me that depends on them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”

Announcing the new deal for Arteta, Edu said: “We are very pleased that Mikel has signed a new long-term contract. It is a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club and an important part of what we are all working towards.

“Mikel has demonstrated his qualities from the first day he joined us, not only as a football coach, but as a person with wonderful values. We firmly believe in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. “Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.”

Now, less than two months, Edu is preparing for his departure from the club.

He has been linked with a job at Evangelos Marinakis' group of clubs.

The Greek businessman is the owner of Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave.

talkSPORT broke the news to his former Arsenal team-mate David Seaman.

He said: “It's the first time I've heard that and I hope it's not true. I see Edu when I go to Arsenal once a week. “He's a big influence at the club, he's someone you want to keep.

“He's a former teammate of mine who won doubles and he's someone you want to follow, so I really hope that's not true.”