Arsenal plans to take their time in appointing a successor to Edu as sporting director, with his deputy, Jason Ayto, set to temporarily take over until the recruitment process is finalized. Mikel Arteta acknowledged before Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Inter that the Brazilian's exit had caught Arsenal off guard and occurred "very quickly." It is understood that Edu, who is expected to join Nottingham Forest's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, in a multi-club network on a reported £5m per year, is starting a six-month notice period with reduced responsibilities as Arsenal searches for a replacement.
Arteta is anticipated to play a crucial role in the decision-making process alongside Arsenal's leadership group, which includes executive vice-chair Tim Lewis and Richard Garlick, who was promoted from director of football operations to managing director last summer. It is believed they have not yet identified a specific candidate but are looking for someone who can collaborate closely with the Arsenal manager and build on the club's recent progress. Ayto, who was promoted to assistant sporting director last April, is expected to fill the gap as they prepare for the January transfer window. The 38-year-old, highly regarded at Arsenal, began as a video scout in 2014 and worked his way up through his role as recruitment coordinator. He could be considered for the permanent position, although Arsenal is thought to be targeting a more experienced sporting director and may be willing to wait up to six months for the right candidate.
Arsenal's hierarchy is set to meet with owner Stan Kroenke and his son Josh, the co-chair, in the United States during next week's international break to discuss next summer's transfer window. Despite trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by seven points after a challenging start to the season, it is understood they are unlikely to make expensive signings in January unless key players suffer injuries. Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino are expected to be available for Sunday's game against Chelsea after being substituted against Inter, but there are doubts over Declan Rice, who did not travel to Italy due to a foot injury. Captain Martin Ødegaard returned as a late substitute after missing Arsenal's previous 12 matches with an ankle injury.
Arsenal had 20 attempts and nearly 63% possession at San Siro but could not break through Inter's defense. "It was very tough, very frustrating for us," said defender Jurriën Timber. "I think we played a good game. We dominated a lot but didn't score." He is confident about the visit to Stamford Bridge: "It will be tough again, but I believe in our squad – we have a lot of quality and just need a little bit of luck in scoring more goals. I have a lot of trust in our team, and we'll be fine for sure."
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