SOMETHING'S COOKING
Inside departing Arsenal sporting director Edu’s family life, from fiery wife to footballer son and those famous BBQ’s
See how Edu's stunning wife Paula reacted when her husband was abused by a Gunners fan at the Emirates below
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ARSENAL fans have been rocked by the news that sporting director Edu is set to leave the club.
The good times are back at the Emirates, as the Gunners have built a team capable of challenging Man City at the top.
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Part of that has been down to the work of Edu, who was famously one of the Invincibles in 2004, who has helped transform the club with a host quality signings.
The likes of Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, and Declan Rice have all arrived in North London during the Brazilian's tenure.
It's reported Edu is looking at a bigger challenge - taking on a senior role at Nottingham Forest to become a chief executive to Evangelos Marinakis' footballing empire, which includes Olympiacos and Rio Ave.
The move could TRIPLE his wages.
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Away from the game, the ex-Brazil international has developed a cult following.
He shares his family life on social media, with wife Paula and their three children taking centre stage on Instagram.
While in the summer, those famous memes of him manning a barbecue had Gooners purring over Edu cooking up a huge transfer deal.
Family man
Edu's Instagram is almost an ode to his family life.
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He shares plenty of personal moments to his 435,000 followers, including his wedding anniversaries over the years.
He's been married to Paula for 21 years, sharing their wedding day to his fans.
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And the Gaspars love an occasion to celebrate.
Back in January, they wore matching white outfits to celebrate the turn of the New Year.
Before that, at Christmas, they showed off their family home - posing in front of their tree.
Edu and Paula share three children together, that includes their only son Luigi, 20, and daughters Maria, 18, and Isabelli, 11.
His wife has always got his back.
When the wife got into bother
Back in 2021, with the Gunners in a transitional period, things did not start well for Mikel Arteta's side.
The club had to suffer before there were signs of improvement, which meant fans had to be patient.
However, tensions spilled over during a home game against Chelsea.
With Arsenal trailing 2-0, one angry supporter confronted Edu by getting out of his seat and berating him from the steps.
A video was shared on social media showing the tense moment.
While Edu managed to remain composed throughout the abuse, Paula could not contain her frustration.
After the fan had finished angrily making his point, Paula put her middle finger up at him as frustrations boiled over, demonstrating her willingness to stand up for her husband in the face of criticism.
Clearly, Paula isn't to be messed with.
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Footballer son
Following in dad's footsteps on the pitch is Edu's son, Luigi.
Also a midfielder, he began his career like his father at Brazilian club Corinthians.
He joined at U7 level, before representing the club in futsal.
When Edu joined Arsenal in 2019, his son linked with up with their academy.
But three years later he departed the club by mutual consent.
He joined fellow London side Watford in 2022, and has broken into their youth sides.
They extended his contract until the end of the season.
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Edu's 35 signings ranked
EDU oversaw the arrival of 35 players during his time at the club.
Some worked out better than others.
Here, SunSport ranks them from worst to best...
35. Nicolas Pepe (£72m)
34. Willian (Free)
33. David Luiz (£8m)
32. Runar Alex Runarsson (£2m)
31. Mat Ryan (Loan)
30. Fabio Vieira (£34m)
29. Neto (Loan)
28. Marquinhos (£3m)
27. Nuno Tavares (£8m)
26. Matt Turner (£5m)
25. Cedric Soares (Free)
24. Albert Sambi Lokonga (£17m)
23. Pablo Mari (£5m)
22. Dani Ceballos (Loan)
21. Raheem Sterling (Loan)
20. Jakub Kiwior (£17m)
19. Jorginho (£12m)
18. Riccardo Calafiori (£42m)
17. Kieran Tierney (£25m)
16. Takehiro Tomiyasu (£20m)
15. Mikel Merino (£28m)
14. Aaron Ramsdale (£24m)
13. Oleksandr Zinchenko (£30m)
12. Gabriel Jesus (£45m)
11. Kai Havertz (£65m)
10. Jurrien Timber (£38m)
9. Gabriel Martinelli (£6m)
8. David Raya (£27m)
7. Leandro Trossard (£20m)
6. Thomas Partey (£45m)
5. Ben White (£50m)
4. Gabriel Magalhaes (£27m)
3. Declan Rice (£105m)
2. William Saliba (£27m)
1. Martin Odegaard (£30m)
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What's cooking?
When it comes to the summer, Arsenal fans are always hungry for new signings.
Bizarrely, some have found a link to their transfer activity when Edu is manning a barbecue.
Often, the retired footballer shares clips of him cooking up a treat for his family.
Brazilian's traditionally love grilled meats and fish, and Edu is no different.
How Edu made Arsenal great again
By Jack Rosser
EDU GASPAR has been on a mission to 'Make Arsenal Great Again' ever since returning to the club he played for 2019.
After a few wobbles early on - signing Nicolas Pepe will never reflect well - the Brazilian has, alongside Mikel Arteta, been crucial in the club's transformation.
Arteta was brought in as the new manager within months of Edu's return to North London and the former midfielder stuck by the boss when the pressure was on two years into the job.
Instead of making the knee-jerk decision to change manager again, the former Brazil international, joined forces with Arteta to institute a huge change of culture at The Emirates.
Overpaid toxic influences such as Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were purged from the dressing room and Arsenal set about adding strong characters.
Edu finally got the club competing in the transfer market again, with Martin Odegaard an outstanding capture for the club. In landing Declan Rice ahead of Manchester City last year Arsenal showed they couple compete for and sign some of Europe's biggest talents once more.
Arsenal have become one of the most attractive clubs in the Premier League and one of the most efficient in the market.
While there have been big deals for the likes of Rice and Calafiori, there have been smart ones too - picking out value where others have lost hope.
Kai Havertz appeared as a surprising signing after a dreadful season at Chelsea. But after Edu gave the German space and support to rebuild his confidence he has developed into a fine asset for Arteta.
Edu does not only have a tight relationship with Arteta - who many fans will be glad signed a new deal before the sporting director's departure - but the players too, always ready and waiting to check in, keep them going.
London Colney and The Emirates will feel a very different place for all of them without Edu.
He has been seen with a cigar in mouth turning over some steaks and sausages ahead of huge deals that have been completed.
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It's an impressive barbecue fitted with plenty of upgrades, just like the squad he helped build.
One wonders if it will be heading to Nottingham with him.
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