Mikel Arteta breaks silence on Edu’s Arsenal exit… and insists the Gunners’ ‘plan and vision’ won’t change despite losing their ‘special’ sporting director
After a bad weekend for Mikel Arteta, things got even worse on Monday – and Wednesday night is unlikely to get any easier here.
Firstly, the defeat at Newcastle left Arsenal seven points off the pace in the Premier League. That bruising loss was made worse after the match when Declan Rice complained of pain in his foot. Then sporting director Edu walked out on Monday, with the club confirming the news relayed by Mail Sport early that morning.
Now they face an in-form Inter Milan without Rice – who hasn’t even traveled here and faces a battle to be fit for Sunday’s visit to Chelsea.
“He hasn’t been feeling well in the last few days so we have to assess him on Thursday and see if he will be fit or not for the weekend,” Arteta said last night.
‘It was a blow, it’s a problem in his foot. He didn’t like putting his boot on.’
It has been a challenging few days for Mikel Arteta and things are unlikely to get any easier in Milan
The Gunners will prepare to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday evening
However, a bigger problem for Arsenal could be the loss of the man with whom Arteta admitted on Tuesday he shares a ‘special chemistry’.
He insists the loss of Brazilian Edu will not stop the Gunners from challenging for silverware, but the relationship between the two has been crucial to Arsenal’s recent title challenges.
Arteta said: ‘Everything happened very quickly. Obviously, I loved working with him and really enjoyed being alongside him on this incredible journey. We have been together from day one and I am personally very grateful for all the work he has done for the club.
‘We had a special chemistry and really enjoyed working together. He now has a great opportunity to do something different in a different role and he believes this is the right professional move for him. We have to respect that and everyone wants the best for them.’
In this new role, Edu will lead the multi-club operation of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, which also includes 47-time Greek champions Olympiacos and Portuguese side Rio Ave.
Arteta admits he has ‘special chemistry’ with Edu, who steps down from his role as sporting director
The Brazilian, pictured alongside Arteta and last summer’s signing Declan Rice, has overseen an overhaul of Arsenal’s squad that has seen them become Premier League title challengers
In a huge blow for Arsenal, Rice has not traveled to Milan and may not be fit for the weekend
Mail Sport revealed on Tuesday that the Gunners have made a counter-offer, believed to be similar to Marinakis, to try to convince Edu to stay. But the lure of controlling multiple clubs was too strong to refuse.
Asked if he had a message of reassurance for Arsenal fans, Arteta said: ‘The plan and vision that starts with ownership is very clear. It will continue.
‘We have a very strong leadership team with incredible know-how and a real passion and great feelings for the club. We’re not going to stop where we are and across the club.
“The excitement, passion and understanding of where we want to take this journey remains intact and that means opportunities for someone else to come and fill their role. We have to move on, because that is the reality of our sector.’
The defeat in Newcastle came after a draw against Liverpool and a defeat at Bournemouth, making Wednesday night’s match in Italy even more important. But like his manager, Bukayo Saka called for perspective.
“Obviously there is a lot of noise around the club and we have lost two games and drawn another,” the England winger said.
“But at the same time, it’s important to stay calm; Doing all these things can bring more peace, but they can also cause a little more panic and chaos. I don’t think we need that right now.’
At least one bit of good news was the return to training of captain Martin Odegaard, who has missed 12 games since suffering an ankle injury on international duty against Norway in September.
Bukayo Saka has called for perspective after Arsenal’s disappointing defeat to Newcastle
The Gunners’ title hopes suffered a major blow as Newcastle triumphed 1-0 at St James’ Park
However, the fact that club captain Martin Odegaard is back on the grass is a big boost for Arteta
The lack of creativity in Arsenal’s midfield at the time was a problem and his return – not least with the trip to Stamford Bridge on the horizon – could hardly have been better timed.
Arteta added: ‘It’s great to have him back. He trained with us for the first time, a full session today. He felt good. He is a little earlier (back) than expected, but he wanted to be with the team, so we will decide whether to use him or not.
“It’s a big step that he has traveled with us and is part of the team.”