Arsenal Technical Director Edu Defends The Club's Transfer Policy In Rare Interview

Arsenal technical director Edu has publicly defended the club's activity in this summer's transfer market.

Responding to suggestions that fans were indeed underwhelmed, Edu said: "Yes, I understand the reason because firstly, they have not seen the team playing together yet. That's one of the reasons but I think we have to see the wider context than just to see the money around it.

"We signed six players who are under 23, which means a lot in terms of our planning. Normally, people like to see just one window, so I have to say it is the bigger picture because we started planning this squad a year ago in terms of consolidating the team and to try to get a better foundation.

"If you remember, in that period we renewed Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli a year ago with the intention to get that kind of base in the team. In a one-year period, we signed 10 players and seven of the 10 are under 23. We renewed seven players in this period as well, just in the first team. Five of the seven are under 23 as well.

"Why did we do that? Because we have a reason to try again to create a good foundation and then, one day, maybe we are going to sign one or two players only. But after that, it's impossible to sign one or two players only because we have a lot to do.

"We have to balance the squad better. We have to recruit the players with the right characteristics and the right profile to make the squad better, more solid and much more consistent because last season we suffered with consistency.

"Now, I want to give Mikel Arteta and the board a much better squad."

Questions have been raised about additions this summer, with Martin Odegaard and Ben White being the only 'first-team starters' but Edu believes the signings bring more squad depth.

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