Arsenal’s sporting director Edu Gaspar resigned from his position this week to pursue greener pastures, and former Gunners defender William Gallas thinks they know why
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar may have stepped down because he was upset at the club for not signing a striker, says William Gallas.
In a shock switch, it was announced earlier this week that Edu would resign from his role within the Gunners’ hierarchy, with a lucrative deal in principle reportedly agreed for him to join Evangelos Marinakis’ high-flying Nottingham Forest.
The man who secured deals for the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard – but also ushered the north London side into a new and more prosperous era under Mikel Arteta – will be a considerable loss, and fans are scrambling to find out why.
Internal disagreements and a higher-paying deal elsewhere have been floated as reasons for he Brazilian leaving his position, yet former Chelsea and Tottenham centre-half Gallas believes that it was specifically the failure to sign a striker this summer – and the so far fruitless loan move of Raheem Sterling – that severed ties between both parties.
“I mean, Arsenal need a striker. Maybe because he didn’t get a striker, was he upset with the board? There are also question marks about Raheem Sterling,” Gallas told Prime Casino.
“That was a signing made because the opportunity was there, not part of a bigger strategy. Who signed him? Was that an Arteta decision? Was that an Edu decision? Nobody will really know.”
Arsenal saw themselves linked with a range of top strikers this summer, namely former Brentford marksman Ivan Toney and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres – whose stock has only grown since the transfer window, with his hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this week fresh in the memory.
Sterling, on the other hand, has made just eight appearances this term, scoring once in the EFL Cup romp against Bolton, but has played a minimal role so far, failing to warrant his hefty wage bill.
Yet, despite this theory, Gallas remains as confused as many about Edu’s decision to leave for Marinakis’ Forest, believing that he should have toughed it out at the Emirates with Arteta’s side so close to a first league title in 20 years.
“What’s he leaving for? He’s going to join Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and do what? I’m a little bit now concerned by the news and I’m trying to understand why he wants to leave right now,” Gallas added. “Why didn’t he wait until the end of the season?
“I think Edu should have tried to do something with Arsenal like winning the Premier League. If you do this, you can leave. You can’t leave at this time. I don’t think it’s good for the group or for the dressing room.
“Arsenal doesn’t look good now, so I’m a little bit worried. The players can be a little bit affected, but that’s the decision that Edu has taken. I’m sure some players had a good relationship with him. What’s going on?”
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