Edu Gaspar set for surprising Arsenal exit as Arsene Wenger touted as replacement

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Catch all the latest Arsenal news, including updates on Edu Gaspar, Arsene Wenger, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

Edu Gaspar set for surprising Arsenal exit

Arsenal are set for a huge change in their backroom team as director of football Edu Gaspar is set to leave the club in the coming weeks.

The Brazilian played for the Gunners in the early 2000s before returning in 2019 as a technical director before becoming the director of football.

That has seen Edu take charge of the transfer and contract business at the Emirates Stadium, which helped the side reach the upper echelons of the league.

However, despite all that work, it appears as though an exit is on the cards as the Daily Mail claims a move is on the way.

The 46-year-old is set to join up with Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of several football clubs including Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest.

It leaves plenty of questions surrounding who could replace the director of football, with a huge reshuffle expected.

Read more on Edu’s Arsenal exit, here.

Arsenal fans call for Arsene Wenger return

With an opening in the sporting department, ahead of Edu’s exit, some Arsenal fans have called for the return of Arsene Wenger.

The former manager left the Gunners back in 2018, ending a 22-year association with the football club, where there was plenty of success.

Wenger has yet to step back into management, deciding to take himself into the development side of the game in a role with FIFA.

However, despite those responsibilities, some fans want to see the Frenchman back at the Emirates Stadium soon.

Many have touted him as a potential option to succeed Edu Gaspar as the director of football for the future.

Read more on Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal return, here.

Micah Richards thinks Martin Odegaard absence has impacted Arsenal star

Martin Odegaard’s absence has been a clear blow for Arsenal over the past few weeks, with the playmaker missing out on some huge games.

The club captain has been out of action through an ankle injury that he picked up in the September international break.

While there is plenty of hope that the midfielder will be back soon, the impact of his time out has been clear.

For Micah Richards, Odegaard’s absence has impacted Bukayo Saka more than others as he said on The Rest is Football podcast: “I agree with that statement, you can’t just say they’re missing Odegaard, but I think he’s sometimes the link between.

“So Arsenal have got different ways of playing, really good at set pieces, they’ve got a really good defence with Gabriel and Saliba.

“And then you had Odegaard who could sort of unlock the door, and then you got the brilliance of Saka, and I just believe now that teams are sort of, they know Saka is ridiculous and he can go both sides, and teams are now just doubling up or trebling up.

“What would happen normally is if you double up on Saka, that there’s somewhere on the pitch free for Odegaard to make that killer pass.

“Trossard is a good player, [but] he doesn’t have the same influence, but he scores important goals. Martinelli is really good with his pace, running in behind, but Odegaard was the one who could see a pass from anywhere.

“And I just think when Saka’s not on it, that he’s missing his partner in there to create something.”

Read more on Micah Richards’ verdict, here.