Arsenal 'have January transfer targets lined up' as club icon spills beans on Edu exit

Arsenal icon Alan Smith insists his former side will be active in the January transfer window despite Edu’s impending exit. The influential sporting director surprisingly resigned in November and is set to take a role within Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’s multi-club system.

Edu has been key to a shift in Arsenal’s recruitment since his appointment, initially as technical director, in 2019. A focus on signing under-valued younger players has been key to the club’s success under head coach Mikel Arteta.

With Edu now departed and no replacement yet hired, questions have been raised over how Arsenal will approach the January transfer window. Former striker Smith believes targets for the next three windows will have already been decided during the Brazilian’s tenure.

“He put a lot of work in behind the scenes and I think a lot of forward planning as well. They would obviously have targets in mind for January coming up, next summer and the January beyond,” Smith told Express Sport, via Ace Odds.

“All well-run clubs think ahead like that. What Edu has already done, you might be able to finish that as it were and bring in targets. It’s a shame. I think he was popular at the club certainly when he was a player. So yeah, it’s a shame.”

Arteta was sad to see Edu leave and revealed they shared a “special chemistry”. The Arsenal boss said: “I loved working with him, I really enjoyed being alongside him in this incredible journey.

“From day one, we’ve been together. First of all, I’m very grateful personally for what [he] has done for me and for the amazing work that he’s done for the football club.

“I think we both had this special chemistry working together, we really both enjoyed our roles and working together. I’m very blessed that he’s been part of my life in such a beautiful place that I am right now, managing this incredible club and he’s been a massive part of that. He’s had an amazing opportunity now to do something else in a different role and he believes that it’s the right professional move for him.”

Jason Ayto is acting as Arsenal’s interim sporting director until a replacement for Edu is found. Paris Saint-Germain transfer guru Luis Campos has been linked, while there is reportedly interest in hiring Dan Ashworth following his abrupt exit from Manchester United.