Mikel Arteta breaks silence on Edu's Arsenal exit after Gunners chief rejected offer to stay

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will "have to move on" after the unexpected exit of sporting director Edu.

The Brazilian, a former Gunners midfielder, is set to join up with owner Evangelos Marinakis and his stable of clubs .

The pair have been crucial to the Gunners' progress in recent seasons as they have developed and nurtured a squad which has challenged for the title, and Arteta admits that he is sad that their working relationship is coming to an end.

"Everything happened very quickly," said Arteta prior to Arsenal's clash with Inter Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday.

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"I loved working with him, i really enjoyed being alongside him in this incredible journey. I’m very grateful for everything he’s done for me and the football club.

"I think we both had this special chemistry working together. I’m very blessed that he’s been part of my life managing this club.

"He’s had an amazing opportunity now to do something else in a different role. He feels that’s best for him. We have to respect that. From that bottom of my heart I wish the best for him."

Edu joined the Gunners as the club's first technical director in 2019 before rising to the role of sporting director in 2022. But despite his exit Arteta is confident that the Gunners won't go off the rails.

"The plan and vision that starts with ownership is going to continue," he said. "We have a very strong leadership team and we’re not going to stop right now.

"The passion to fulfil this journey is not going to stop. That means opportunities for someone else. We say thank you and we have to move on."

Arteta has captain Martin Odegaard back in his squad for the trip to Milan after recovering from an ankle injury and admitted he could feature at the San Siro.

"The positive news is Martin, it’s great to have him back," he said. "He trained with us for the first time today. He’s a bit earlier than expected. But it’s great to have him here and we will decide if we use him tomorrow."

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