Arsenal 'monitoring' new Edu replacement candidate with key trait Mikel Arteta will love

Arsenal's search for an Edu replacement has ramped up in recent days with a new name emerging as his potential successor. Tomas Rosicky and Per Mertesacker, both former players with the latter already part of the club, have thus far been linked alongside West Ham's Tim Steidten.

Mikel Arteta is set to have a say in deciding the club's next sporting director, though managing director Richard Garlick and executive vice-chair Tim Lewis will lead the process. This topic is expected to be on the agenda during a meeting with the Kroenke family scheduled for the coming days.

Plans for the upcoming January transfer window and next summer's trading period will also be discussed with Lewis, Garlick, new director of football operations Jason King and interim sporting director Jason Ayto expected to be in attendance.

In the meantime, plenty of other names will likely be linked with succeeding Edu with Real Sociedad chief Roberto Olabe potentially to be one after The Athletic revealed he will leave his role at the end of the season. It has also been claimed he does not have his next position lined up, though the Gunners are sure to take an interest in acquiring his services.

The 57-year-old mastered getting full value for Sociedad's top assets with Arsenal finding that out perfectly over the summer in lengthy negotiations for Mikel Merino. Despite that fact his contract was set to expire in 2025, his transfer was worth £27.4 million plus £4.2 million in add-ons, arguably a good deal for both clubs.

Though Olabe is yet to concretely emerge as a potential target for Arsenal, a new candidate looks to have been identified. According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro is being monitored by the Gunners in their search to replacement Edu.

Scuro already has a loose link to Arsenal having been involved in negotiations with for Folarin Balogun. "He's a young and top-talented striker, who had a very strong season in Ligue 1 last season," he told SportsMax following his arrival from Arsenal

"So he's fully adapted to the league, and [we are] fully confident about what he can do in the league. Now it's our job to help him reach the next level in his career, as he is recently an international for the US.

"He's a young player with an Arsenal academy profile, which [means] he brings very, very good and strong skills with him." The 43-year-old is therefore clearly aware of the talent in Hale End and if appointed, will likely be keen on helping players develop and bring through more young stars into the first-team.

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