OPINION: Arsenal must go all in for Luis Campos to replace Edu as sporting director

Arsenal are intensifying their search for a new sporting director this month following Edu's departure in November 2024.

Jason Ayto stepped in as interim sporting director but has yet to make an impact, failing to secure any signings to strengthen the squad during the January transfer window.

When asked about the situation in a press conference, Mikel Arteta stated that he believes movement will take place "very soon."

It's no secret that a marquee forward is high on the club's shopping list, alongside a midfield overhaul to replace the ageing Jorginho and Thomas Partey this summer.

The squad we have now is ready to win the biggest titles. Any additions must improve it. Options are limited, and the right man must be in charge to set us on our way.

Sky Sports reported in December that Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Campos is among the candidates Arsenal are considering for the role.

Campos, known for his ability to identify young talent, has yet to renew his contract with the French champions and is expected to part ways with the club this summer.

The former Monaco and Lille sporting director has a proven track record of unearthing players who have been sold for significant profits, including Kylian Mbappé, Victor Osimhen, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, and Anthony Martial.

Personally, I believe Arsenal should go all out for Campos. His eye for talent is second to none, and his ambition and win-now mentality align perfectly with Arteta's vision.

Brentford's Phil Giles has also emerged as a potential candidate, according to The Athletic.

Brentford are widely regarded as one of the best-run clubs in England, and their data-driven recruitment model has been instrumental in their rise since promotion to the Premier League in 2021.

Giles also played a role in bringing Arsenal's current set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, to English football in 2016, before Jover moved on to Manchester City and eventually joined Arteta's backroom staff.

Giles would be a respectable appointment, particularly in terms of streamlining recruitment and outgoings. He may not have the star power of Campos, nor the same pulling power in negotiations, but he would still be a solid choice.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that former Gunner Tomáš Rosický is a leading contender for the role and has been in regular contact with members of the club's hierarchy.

The former Czech international, who spent a decade at Arsenal before departing in 2016, has maintained a close relationship with Arteta, having played alongside him for five years in North London.

Since retiring in 2017, Rosický has returned to his boyhood club, Sparta Prague, where he was appointed sporting director after just one year. He has overseen back-to-back league titles in 2022/23 and 2023/24, with the club gradually improving under his leadership.

This season marks Sparta Prague's first Champions League campaign since 2005. On the transfer front, Rosický himself still holds the club's record for the highest outgoing fee, and the past two summers have seen Sparta Prague record their second and third most lucrative sales.

Rosický has impressed in his relatively short tenure as a sporting director, and while the romantic in me would love to see an Arsenal icon return to the Emirates, I can't shake the feeling that Arsenal need someone with a level of experience and expertise that matches the ambition of both the manager and the squad.

An elite sporting director could be the final piece needed to push Arsenal over the line and achieve what they have narrowly missed in recent seasons. In my opinion, Campos is that missing piece, and the club should do whatever it takes to bring him in.