ex Sevilla and Aston Villa sporting director Monchi remembers how he turned out Arsenal job offer (with Edu leaving Arsenal)
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Unai Emery
Arsenal are on the lookout for a new sporting director, with the club confirming that Edu has stepped down from his role. Edu re-joined the club in 2019 and oversaw the men’s, women’s, and academy teams. The job of finding a suitable replacement will be challenging for Richard Garlick, Tom Lewis, and Mikel Arteta, who are all expected to be involved in the process.
**Past Recruitment Efforts and Monchi’s Decision**
Back in 2019, Arsenal were searching for a replacement for Sven Mislintat and they made an approach to Monchi.
Monchi said: “I thank Arsenal for their interest. It has been the club that has shown the most interest in me, but, in the end, I evaluated all of the offers I had on the table, and I chose the one that convinced me most. I had other options, and very important ones that were flashier, but I’ve chosen Sevilla because its sporting project convinced me. I want to thank everyone that contributed to my return to what I consider to be my home.”
At the time, Arsenal were managed by Unai Emery, who worked with Monchi at Sevilla. They were however reunited almost four years later. Arrivals under the sporting director include Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, and Amadou Onana. There was also the added hurdle of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs). The early signs so far this season are positive. Villa sit at the top of the Champions League, having won all three of their league games so far, including a memorable victory against Bayern Munich. It has been more difficult in the Premier League with the club winning just one of their last five games. Arsenal’s progress under Edu places importance on getting his replacement right.
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