Since Edu’s introduction at Arsenal, the Brazilian has been heavily scrutinised for the success of his job.
Whilst a lot of money has been spent, the club’s performances have failed to live up to the standards the fans have been expecting.
A major reason for this is due to Edu’s inability to offload players that are surplus to requirements and it has instead lead to a depth of poor quality.
However, the former Arsenal midfielder should be credited for the sale of Alex Iwobi as not only did it generate an extremely generous profit but it also paved the way for the promotion of Arsenal’s star boy Bukayo Saka to the first team.
Alex Iwobi was sold to Everton in a deal that was worth up to £34 million in 2019.
The Nigerian international came through the Hale End academy and made an instant impact under Arsene Wenger during the 2015/16 season.
But as the seasons went on, Iwobi’s performance levels continued to decline all the way to the point where he was no longer required and eventually offloaded by Edu.
In the same season the winger was sold, Saka would become a regular in Unai Emery’s side after promotion from the Hale End academy.
The two players have seen a contrast in performances since 2019 as Iwobi has struggled during his time in Merseyside whereas Saka has thrived within the first-team squad.
The Everton midfielder’s struggles were epitomised in Sunday’s defeat at the hands of West Ham and his statistics for the match were alarming.
The 25-year-old winger recorded zero key passes, alongside zero dribbles and zero accurate crosses.
On the other hand, during the international break, Saka had scored for his country and before England duty had played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s North London Victory over Spurs by contributing with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory.
Not only this, but before turning 20-years-old, the winger had made 92 appearances putting him in the top five for matches played as a teenager for the club and this led to a 2021 Kopa Trophy nomination.
If Edu was unable to offload Iwobi, Saka’s development may have been different, leading to a detrimental twist to his success.
Both players operate in similar positions which means that once Saka did breakthrough into the squad, he may have been positioned or kept as a full-back where he was used a lot during the 2019/2020 season.
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