Arsenal's announcement regarding the promotion of Edu Gaspar garnered a response from supporters and senior squad players.
On Friday, it was confirmed that Brazilian had been appointed as the club's first-ever Sporting Director, which means he has now assumed over-arching responsibility for all Academy activities. Part of this new role includes working together with Per Mertesacker to strengthen the integration between the men's first team and the academy.
Despite Edu's promotion having nothing to do with what the Gunners have planned for the January transfer window, some supporters took to Twitter and shared their excitement about the prospect of deals for Palmeiras pair Danilo and Endrick being completed to bolster the first-team squad.
READ MORE: How Edu is transforming Arsenal into title contenders as Mikel Arteta's dynamic shapes the future
With that said, whilst the news of the 44-year-old's promotion has already garnered excitement amongst the fanbase, apparently two Arsenal players in, captain Martin Odegaard and vice-captain Granit Xhaka have taken to social media to deliver their verdict on the announcement.
As well as expressing his delight at his new role when speaking to the club's official website, Edu took to Instagram to send a classy message: "I have to say how proud I am to receive this new opportunity to be the Arsenal FC first-ever Sporting Director," the Brazilian wrote.
"I have to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have supported me since my arrival, who have helped me, challenged me and who have advised me throughout my journey. Without your full support, commitment and dedication - I would have not been given this incredible opportunity. I'm grateful to be part of this amazing team. I am delighted to share this moment with you all. Thank you, and let's keep moving forward."
And, as seen in the screenshot above, the aforementioned Odegaard and Xhaka have seemingly given their approval to the promotion by liking the picture, whilst Rob Holding liked Arsenal's initial Instagram post, which broke the news of Edu taking on more responsibility at the club.
Meanwhile, Arsenal Chief Executive Vinai Venkatesham has also reacted to the announcement: "We are delighted that Edu is recommitting his future to the Club that he so clearly loves after making such a positive and critical contribution to our progress in his time with us so far," he said.
"Edu's promotion formalises his already growing influence over our Academy operations, and we look forward to Per and Edu working together to strengthen the integration between our men's first-team and Academy yet further."
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