Arsenal sporting director Edu reveals how his 'unpopular decisions' helped build a new foundation at the club as he claims the squad was full of players who were too old, overpaid and not performing

Edu has claimed that his 'unpopular decisions' have helped to get Arsenal back on track over the past five years.

Former Gunners midfielder Edu returned to the north London outfit in July 2019 when he was hired as the club's first technical director. He has since been promoted to sporting director.

Arsenal had just finished fifth in the 2018-19 Premier League campaign when Edu arrived.

The Gunners came eighth in each of the next two seasons, while the first-team squad was widely overhauled. Under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal then came fifth again in the 2021-22 season, before coming second in each of the last two campaigns.

In a recent interview with Men In Blazers, Edu explained how and why he and his backroom staff have brought down the average age of the Arsenal first team in recent years, as well as getting rid of several of the club's top-earners.

Speaking from the USA where Arsenal have been on a pre-season tour, Edu said: 'When you live in the football world, sometimes you have to make decisions simple and sometimes you have to make decisions even if it is not popular. 

'You have to be very strong on your ideas, what you believe, what is good for the club, what is good for the future of the club.

'For me, there are some elements in football which I will always give a lot of attention. When I joined, I looked at the squad balance, the positions, the age of the group. There are three elements that you have to be really aware of.

'First of all, we have to see the age of the player. Then you have to see the salary of the player. And third you have to see the performance of the player. 

'If you have a player over 26 or 27 years, you need attention. If his salary is high, you need attention. And if he is not performing, you are dead.

'Let's come back... If you have a player, 27 years old or 28, on a big salary, but he is performing, you can accept it. What you cannot accept is if you have those three elements and the player is over 28. 

'You start to become uncomfortable and it is better for you to move them on - because maybe this player is blocking someone younger, an asset who could help you.

'When I came to Arsenal, I saw all the squad, with respect, almost everyone was over 26, 27, on big salaries and not performing. If you have those three elements, which club in the world wants to come here and buy one of our players? No-one.

'So how do you deal with that situation? You have to be strong and sometimes you have to make decisions. You can go strong and try to let those players go or your project is going to take, instead of three or four years, maybe seven, eight or nine.

'Then unpopular decisions started to come. Because most of the players that have those elements, they have a fanbase and a media that love them. But for the club it is not healthy sometimes to keep the player in that situation.'

'When I started I saw every single player in the squad with those three characteristics. Then I said: "Guys, we have to clean this squad, with all my respect, to build a new foundation here. From that foundation, we need to sign younger players, on lower salaries, with better futures, who are hungry to take us where we want to go.'

Arsenal have signed two first-team players so far this summer.

The Gunners converted 28-year-old goalkeeper David Raya's loan deal into a permanent one, before bringing in Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, 22, from Bologna.