The Candidates Who Could Replace Edu as Arsenal’s New Sporting Director

Who could replace Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director? See some of the suspected candidates below and their suitability for an ultra-demanding role.

Edu Departs After Five Successful Years at Arsenal

Before Edu Arsenal had never had a sporting director, but such is the impact the Brazilian had behind the scenes that he was handed the lion’s share of responsibility in the technical department.

In a bombshell week for the Gunners, which has also seen them slip seven points behind league leaders Liverpool, they now must come to terms with the departure of one of the key driving forces behind their resurgence.

Some of Edu’s best signings have blossomed into a collection of the finest players in world football, with William Saliba, Gabriel and Martin Odegaard just some of the few in a spellbinding inventory.

And now, whoever steps up to replace Edu must take up a mantle that didn’t even exist at the club before his arrival.

Below are a collection of names who could realistically replace Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director.

Who Could Take Over From Edu as Arsenal’s Sporting Director?

Per Mertesacker

Arsenal is a club built doing things in a certain way – it exists with a very distinct culture that only those who have played or worked for can understand.

Hiring from within automatically ticks those boxes, and from an economic standpoint, it wouldn’t incur compensation to third parties.

With that in mind, Per Mertesacker is an obvious candidate.

A former club captain with over 150 appearances for the Gunners, the towering German certainly understands the demands of the club better than most.

Since the 2017-18 season, he has been Arsenal’s academy chief, nurturing talent with a holistic approach, from U8’s to the first team.The likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka have managed to find clear pathways to the senior side.

As a former teammate of Mikel Arteta, the relationship is already well-established. In fact, upon the Spaniard’s retirement in 2016, he wrote a personal letter to then-chief executive Ivan Gazidis urging him to find a role for Mertesacker at the club.

Of course, they duly obliged and Arsenal’s academy has been churning out world-beating talent under his tenure.

Whether he has the experience Arsenal are looking for in a title-challenging sporting director is unclear, but his knowledge of the inner workings of the club, his relationship with Arteta, and a proven record for nurturing young talent make him a standout candidate.

Laurent Koscielny

Per Mertesacker’s former centre-back partner Laurent Koscielny is worth a mention given his understanding of the club.

Since retiring from football in 2022, the Frenchman has been busy behind the scenes at the side that gave him his first taste of top-flight football – Lorient.

After a brief stint managing the U17 side, he is now the club’s sporting director as of June 2024. After being relegated from Ligue 1 last season, they are well on their way to a promotion push in Ligue 2.

His post-football career is still very much in its infancy, and it is unlikely Arsenal will shoulder that kind of responsibility on a relative rookie.

However, his Arsenal connection is clear cut and the club have been known to hold a preference for hiring former employees.

Tomas Rosicky

Another former player for the club, Tomas Rosicky, enjoyed a decade with Arsenal during the peak of his playing career. He made 247 appearances for the Gunenrs, winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2014.

Now 44, Rosicky currently serves as the sporting director for Sparta Prague, a top-flight club in his native Czech Republic.

Rosicky initially returned to Sparta in January 2018 as assistant sporting director before stepping into the main role later that year, in December.

His leadership has been a success, guiding Sparta to two Czech First League titles and two Czech Cups since his appointment – a record that has reportedly caught Arsenal’s attention.

Luis Campos

A more experienced, high-profile option is current PSG ‘Football Advisor’ Luis Campos.

Campos has built an impressive reputation for discovering and nurturing some of football’s brightest stars, including Kylian Mbappé during his tenure at AS Monaco.

Between 2013 and 2016, he orchestrated the signings of standout talents such as Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Radamel Falcao, and Thomas Lemar. These signings formed the backbone of Monaco’s remarkable 2017 Ligue 1 title-winning squad.

Campos continued his success at Lille, where he recruited players like Victor Osimhen before joining PSG in 2022.

In Paris, he has overseen more than £640 million in transfer activity, securing marquee signings such as Vitinha, Ousmane Dembélé, and Randal Kolo Muani.

Roberto Olabe

Europe has been put on high alert after highly sought after Real Sociedad director Roberto Olabe announced he would be departing the club at the end of the season.

The Txuri-urdin transfer supremo has enjoyed three separate stints at the club, and is responsible for brokering deals for a string of high-profile names, including Mikel Merino, Alexander Isak, Martin Odegaard and Takefusa Kubo.

Mikel Arteta’s close ties to the Basque Country and Sociedad themselves may help with any initial talks, but it is unclear whether Olabe is open to moving to another club immediately.

Tim Steidten

Some reports suggest West Ham’s technical director Tim Steidten is being lined up as a potential replacement for Edu.

Steidten has only been working with the Hammers since 2023, having previously been at Bayer Leverkusen. The German was responsible for bringing in some of Leverkusen’s current main players, including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Exequiel Palacios.

This past summer, Steidten led a £130 million recruitment haul, bringing in the likes of Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Niclas Fullkrug, and Crysencio Summerville, among others.

However, West Ham’s lacklustre start to the season under new manager Julen Lopetegui has raised doubts over the German’s position, and Arsenal now see him as a potential candidate.

Paolo Maldini

Looking further afield, there are several sporting directors out of, or soon-to-be out of work that hold real pedigree.

Not least perhaps the finest defender of all-time, Paolo Maldini, who is without an employer after having his contract terminated by AC Milan.

He was recognised as the Sporting Director of the Year in 2022 by the Globe Soccer Awards, having built a Serie A-winning squad in the 2021/22 season.

During his tenure, the likes of Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan were lured by his vision for the future – all of whom remain at the San Siro.

That is quite the resumé for a man who commands respect wherever he goes. His arrival would certainly spark a certain hysteria around the Emirates given his stature in world football, and he has the title-winning credentials as a director to back it up.

Txiki Begiristain

This next one could be worth casting a keen eye over.

Txiki Begiristain’s departure from Manchester City will be confirmed in the summer of 2025 after 12 years at the club. After intending to quit his role as sporting director over five years ago, he extended his stay in England after being enthused by a period of unprecedented success.

While suggestions had been made the 60-year-old intended to retire post-Manchester City, it has been confirmed he will only be taking a sabbatical; this makes him an interesting candidate for a new role – perhaps Arsenal?

“Part of me is leaving. A friend of mine, an architect who created one of the best teams at Barcelona and here. Personally, he will be missed a lot,” Pep Guardiola said upon his announcement.

He has been an integral part of City’s domestic and European dominance over the past decade, firstly bringing in former Barcelona teammate Pep Guardiola at the helm and adding the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and David Silva on the pitch.

Speaking of his work with Edu, Mikel Arteta said: “It has to be well respected, and the rules have to be really clear.

“You have to share the same ideas, but at the same time you have to challenge each other because sometimes coaches have all the ideas and we want something right now, but it might not be the best thing for the club.”

Begiristain will almost certainly share similar ideas with Arteta, having worked together closely at Man City. A figure as respected as him immediately jumps to the top of the list, but their existing relationship makes this an even more intriguing connection.