I left Arsenal for £50 per week but Edu should not have left Mikel Arteta for the money

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has admitted he cannot fathom why Edu has chosen to leave his role as sporting director. Earlier this week, it was confirmed via a club statement that he would be departing with even manager Mikel Arteta, seemingly, caught off guard.

"Everything happened very quickly," he said "I loved working with him, I really enjoyed being alongside him on this incredible journey. From day one, we've been together. First of all I'm very grateful personally for what everything has done for me and for the amazing work that he's done for the football club."

Given the timing and abruptness of it all, , many were surprised with Keown certainly among those as the former Arsenal man provided his thoughts.

"It's hard to fathom, I would never walk away from that job because it is the perfect job in football, I hope that it isn't money that he's left for," he said on . He was loved at the club - and was doing an amazing job - it feels hollow really.

"I don't want to be virtuous or righteous, I left the club many years ago for £50-a-week and that was on a point of principle. He has done an amazing job there. It's a partnership with the manager and it's a really big loss at a terrible moment in the season so it's hard for me to really fathom why he's gone at this stage.

"If I'm in that role, you'd have to grab my kicking and screaming from it. They talk about projects, which I don't like, but they're reaching the end, they've almost reached the summit. Something big is about to happen, so the timing, I just can't work out.

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"Maybe it's pressure, maybe we're a bit too tough on him and there were other opportunities. But I can't help feeling that it's a massive disappointment." Though his next role has seemingly been confirmed, Edu will serve a notice period with his appearance at St. James' Park for the defeat to Newcastle, therefore, unlikely to be his last.