It has been a while since Edu Gaspar left his role at Arsenal.
The Brazilian spent over five years at the Emirates, initially as the club’s first-ever technical director and then as their sporting director.
In November last year, Edu resigned from his role at Arsenal, and he spent a period of gardening leave away from the game.
Nottingham Forest announced earlier this week that Edu had joined their owners’ group of clubs as their Global Sports Director.
Edu would’ve hoped for a good start, but things have not gone to plan.
Edu Gaspar is very good at his job.
The Brazilian did well during his time at Arsenal, and he deserves all the credit in the world for starting the project under Mikel Arteta.
Yes, Edu did make mistakes, but his job at the Emirates was his first in a director’s role at a major club, and that was bound to happen.
After leaving Arsenal and joining Forest, Edu would’ve had big plans to take the Reds to another level after their impressive 2024/25 campaign.
However, Forest have lost two of their best players just days after Edu’s arrival.
First, Anthony Elanga left the City Ground for Newcastle United, and now, former Arsenal target Morgan Gibbs-White is about to join Tottenham Hotspur after they agreed to trigger his release clause.
Forest had a stable side last season, but that is no longer the case. Edu’s job has become significantly harder now — he must have had a thought wondering if he made a mistake leaving Arsenal.
Andrea Berta became Arsenal’s new sporting director in March, replacing Edu.
The Italian is a lot more experienced than the former Arsenal transfer chief, and he has already shown what he is capable of on the market.
For years, Arsenal lacked squad depth, and that hurt them. Arteta had nobody to turn to when injuries troubled the club last season.
Berta has immediately addressed that with the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, and soon Noni Madueke.
All three players are coming into the club as backups, and they all have solid experience in the Premier League.
That makes Arsenal stronger than they were last season, and Berta deserves a lot of praise.
