Edu details 'Unpopular decisions' that led to Arsenal revival

Arsenal sporting director Edu has detailed the unpopular moves he made to transform the Gunners back into a powerhouse of English football.

Prior to Mikel Arteta taking over Arsenal, the club was in a terrible position. Players who were underperforming on huge wages and with no Champions League football, it was a recipe for disaster.

Enter chef Edu.

Appointed Arsenal's sporting director in 2022, the Brazilian quickly identified where the Gunners' big problems were, and it was with players making huge money, and not performing to the level their contract desired.

In an interview with Men in Blazers, Edu detailed the decisions that have brought Arsenal back from the brink to where it is now challenging for the league title.

"When I came to Arsenal, I saw all the squad, with respect, almost everyone was over 26, 27, on big salaries and not performing," Edu said. "If you have those three elements, which club in the world wants to come here and buy one of our players? No-one. Then unpopular decisions started to come. Because most of the players that have those elements, they have a fanbase and a media that love them. But for the club, it is not healthy sometimes to keep the player in that situation."

That is the kind of ruthless mindset that has been missing from the club for years. It doesn't matter what the name is on the back of the shirt; if they are underperforming while on huge wages, then a tough conversation has to be had.

And it is clear that Edu isn't one to be afraid of such talks.

With the club now seemingly back where they belong and challenging for the title, the Gunners have, in part, Edu to thank for balancing the books and getting the "deadwood" out of the club.

The departures of Willian, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, and Pablo Mari highlight Edu's ruthlessness, while others in Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette, Hector Bellerin, and Rob Holding are also ones who were shown the door.

Then were the smart business moves of Folarin Balogun who was sold for £40.00m to AS Monaco, Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen for £21.50m and Emile Smith Rowe for £34 million to Fulham.

Eddie Nketiah is also one who could be on the move this offseason, but a bigger offer than the two of £23m that have been rejected by the club from Marseille is needed.

So, while some of those moves might not have sat well with the Gunners faithful, it has been those hard decisions that have transformed Arsenal from a club that had overpaid players not performing to a club that has trimmed the fat from its squad and wage bill to be transformed into an English powerhouse.

And all because Edu was the one to make the tough decisions that in truth, should have been made years ago.

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