Arsenal Invincibles star Gilberto Silva responds to replacing Edu as Gunners chief

Edu near his relation arsenic Arsenal's sporting manager earlier this period and his erstwhile Gunners teammate Gilberto Silva appears to beryllium unfastened to perchance replacing him

Gilberto Silva has been asked if helium would see replacing his erstwhile teammate Edu arsenic Arsenal's sporting director.

Silva, who played alongside Edu for some Arsenal and Brazil, was a cardinal subordinate of the legendary Invincibles broadside and helium does person immoderate acquisition successful a akin relation aft moving arsenic the method manager of Greek nine Panathinaikos.

Edu, meanwhile, quit Arsenal earlier this month and is acceptable to instrumentality connected a caller relation astatine Nottingham Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis's unchangeable of clubs. When asked if helium had spoken to Edu since the announcement of his departure, Silva told Sky Sports : "We exchanged a mates of messages, but I didn't inquire him wherefore helium made the decision.

"Edu is simply a precise chill guy. I deliberation it was a pugnacious determination for him to permission the nine and I privation him the champion of luck. He has done a large occupation for the nine and, of course, I deliberation the nine volition miss him. He made a large concern with Mikel successful bid to person a bully equilibrium for Arsenal.

"Honestly, it was a large astonishment for maine but sometimes it happens and I anticipation that he'll beryllium blessed with the adjacent situation and immoderate helium decides to do." Silva was past asked if helium would beryllium funny successful replacing Edu and responded: "I inactive bash immoderate enactment with the nine arsenic an ambassador.

"This is not thing I was [thinking astir doing] successful the adjacent fewer years, contempt the information that I person done it for Panathanaikos successful the past. In the past fewer years, I person been connected a antithetic roadworthy successful shot and with Arsenal.

"I don't know, I don't know. I person done the mentation for it a fewer years agone and I person been [approached] by a fewer clubs successful Brazil, but I decided not to instrumentality the position. I americium not saying close now, but it's ever large to beryllium astir Arsenal adjacent arsenic an ambassador."

Explaining his determination to permission the Emirates, Edu spoke of his tendency to "pursue a antithetic challenge". He said: "This was an incredibly hard determination to make. Arsenal has fixed maine the accidental to enactment with truthful galore astonishing radical and the accidental to beryllium a portion of thing truthful peculiar successful the club's history.

"It has been a peculiar travel and I convey Stan, Josh, Tim and Lord Harris for the enactment they've fixed me. I've loved moving with truthful galore large colleagues crossed our men's, women's and academy teams, particularly Mikel, who has go a large friend.

"Now it is clip to prosecute a antithetic challenge. Arsenal volition ever stay successful my heart. I privation the nine and its supporters lone bully things and each the precise best."

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