COMMENT: He'll be pleased. Flattered. But Edu must also know that the outside interest which has arrived in recent times has come thanks to a particular working partnership at Arsenal...
The alarm bells aren't ringing. But there was a hint of a warning. Edu, as Arsenal's technical director, is attracting an ever increasing army of admirers inside the game. A nice confirmation for the Brazilian and an endorsement of the work he's performed these past three years. The news breaking this week that there has been informal enquiries lodged with Edu about his position at London Colney and interest in moving elsewhere.
It's been informal. Tentative. But for the Brazilian, it does affirm what he has managed to achieve since his return in 2019. With the Gunners free and clear at the top of the Premier League table. A position achieved with a young, exciting team. And playing a brand of football in the best traditions of Arsene Wenger. Of course, the architect of this transformation is always going to attract admirers from elsewhere.
But Edu will know, in his case, the whole is far greater than the sum of it's parts. His success has come largely thanks to the input of Mikel Arteta. And for Arteta, the feeling should be mutual.
The headliners are the Brazilians. Edu's Brazilians. Gabriel Jesus. Gabriel Martinelli. Gabriel Magalhaes. All personal signings by Edu. And now, three years into this project, all pillars of Arteta's XI. But there's also been miscalculations. Mistakes. Willian. David Luiz. Again, personal bets made by Edu and ones, in this case, which failed.
But the headliners are flying. And Edu, rightly, is gaining credit for his improving work in the transfer market. But it must be said, Arsenal aren't where they are today without some push back from Arteta.
It was the manager, a year ago, who argued Aaron Ramsdale's case to Edu ahead of Neto. As it was Arteta who pushed for Fabio Vieira's signing this summer over Edu's long-term target Lucas Paqueta. There was never any tension. Any type of battle. But without Arteta's intervention, the make-up of his current table-topping XI would look very different.
However, this cuts both ways. Again, it's almost impossible to argue that Arsenal would be where they are today without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil being moved on. And that would never have been achieved without Edu going to the board and convincing them to pay off both heavyweights. Setting out a case. Having the ability to lay out the big picture. That isn't Arteta's strengths. Without Edu, it's unlikely the Kroenkes would've accepted paying millions for two players to simply leave.
So they need eachother. They're a package. A partnership. As Arteta's stock grows, so does Edu's. And vice-versa. It was Edu who identified and hired Arteta after the dismissal of Unai Emery. The Brazilian is essentially Arteta's boss. But he also has the character and humility to take and act upon Arteta's transfer recommendations - even if it means scrapping years of work regarding his own.
And again, it's a mutually beneficial approach. Gabriel Jesus had worked with Arteta at City - but without the presence of Edu, the striker was never joining the Gunners this past summer.
"Edu had a talk with him to express and project and what the club is about," Arteta recalled recently. "He explained the role he would have at the club. I then spoke to him so it was a team effort and he clearly understood what we wanted to do.
"The relationship with him (as Brazil team manager) helped because we had that trust and then the decision was up to him."
As we say, they're a team. A partnership. Both benefiting from eachother's strengths and catching themselves when they stumble. It must be remembered how bleak it looked for Edu barely a year ago after that thumping defeat at Brentford. It appeared only a matter of time before we'd get word from the club of his departure.
But 12 months on and he's now being discussed inside Europe's biggest clubs. And for his work, whether that be inside the transfer market or at board level, it's deserved. But that growing reputation, built on the past year's success, has been helped by the input of his manager. In key decisions. For key positions. Arteta arguing - and winning - his case has only enhanced Edu's name within the industry.
Of course, the moment will come when the partnership will split. It's inevitable. It's football. But at 44 and in just his second job as technical director, now isn't the time for Edu to entertain these growing enquiries.
The improvement on the pitch. Inside the dressing room. And the connection with the support. It's all been driven by Edu. There can be no arguing against that. But at key moments. In key decisions. The input of Arteta has made the difference.
Edu must know this growing interest has come from a particular working partnership at Arsenal.
