Brazilian newspaper Estadão features a long and interesting interview with Arsenal director Edu Gaspar.
It really sounds like they’ve been waiting for the end of the season to speak to him, as that turned to be the basis of their conversation about his role at the London side.
Gaspar spoke about the difference between working in the Premier League and in Brazil. He claimed that all the signings he makes at Arsenal are based on several factors, saying there are many people who approve the new arrivals.
“You can’t sign for the sake of signing. It has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. On my desk, I have reports of over 180 pages on one player. It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, whether he has Premier League experience, whether he’ll be able to adapt. Everything. We analyse our deficiencies, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. We’ve been discussing what I’m going to do now since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s. It’s a group decision.”
Still on that matter, he claimed there are no political groups within the club, and that really helps his job.
“There’s no politics here. I understand and respect the process in Brazil. I got on well with all the presidents at Corinthians, but it’s different here. I feel like I live in a company. A football company. I participate and discuss all the issues. Budgets, investments, financial balance. Everything. It may be that in Brazil, because I was young and at the start of my career, people didn’t pass on all this administrative stuff to me. But not here. Here I have much more autonomy.”
Regarding the 2023/24 season, Gaspar talked about the frustration over Arsenal again failing to win the Premier League, despite getting so close.
“It’s a strange feeling, very strange, because we end the season with the feeling that we’ve done everything right. From the signings and the goals to the renewals. Mikel did a great job and achieved the goals. We did everything we could, but it wasn’t enough. There’s frustration, but there’s also a positive feeling that the process was done well. The work was excellent,” he said.
Gaspar was also asked about his future, because just like players, he could have the desire to return to Brazil at some point. The Arsenal director, however, insisted that a return home isn’t part of his plans right now, especially because of the specific goals he has with the Gunners.
“That’s something I ask myself a lot). I’m living a moment I’ve always dreamed of. Today I’m not thinking about going back to Brazil. I can’t say never, but today I don’t think about it. I want to stay here and maybe retire. There’s no way I can think otherwise. As a director, I’ve won all the titles I won as a player. The only thing missing is the Premier League.”
