Arsenal icon delighted with Edu

Former Arsenal striker turned Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has been left overjoyed by recent comments from technical director Edu.

The lowdown: Edu opens up

Discussing the current situation at the Gunners in an interview with The Athletic, Edu outlined the current strategy at the Emirates Stadium, underpinned by what has been an impressive summer transfer window so far.

The 44-year-old Brazilian, who played for the north Londoners on 127 occasions and won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Community Shield during his time at the club, also insisted that Mikel Arteta’s side ‘cannot accept’ the current dominance enjoyed by Manchester City and Liverpool in England.

Upon hearing the comments, another fellow former Gunner has given his verdict on the positivity coming out of N7…

The latest: ‘Music to my ears’

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell – who made 193 appearances for Arsenal and now contributes for Sky – proclaimed that this is exactly the kind of bravado that he experienced when arriving in north London.

He said: “This was music to my ears, let me tell you. Listen, the first time I walked into Arsenal that was the mindset. That is exactly what George Graham thought in ’86.

“Of course Man City and Liverpool are up there. They are amazing teams but they have the target on their back. They are the ones you have to go for.

“If you get in amongst them, you have a chance. The top four is important but it doesn’t make you successful. Getting in amongst City and Liverpool come the end of the season makes you competitive and successful.

“That has to be the aim for Arsenal. They have been there before. The level of consistency from Liverpool and City has been incredible. But that has to be every team’s goal.”

The verdict: Spot on

Arsenal have been enjoying sure signs of incremental growth of fwhat is a young and talented squad under Arteta ever since the Spaniard’s appointment, backed up by the work in the market by Edu this summer in particular.

However, steady improvement can only take a perceived superpower such as the Gunners so far and eventually something tangible has to come from the steps taken, a matter that those in power at the Emirates are seemingly keen to address in the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.

Still linked with such renowned names as Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Cody Gakpo, Edu could well further bolster the ranks prior to the September 1 deadline, further underlining the perceived newfound backing from the board.

Whether or not those targets and the completed captures of the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are enough to bridge the 34-point gap to eventual Premier League champions remains to be seen, but, a sustained challenge in the upper echelons, prolonged domestic cup runs and a deep dive into the Europa League are surely attainable targets for Arteta’s men.