Reports from Brazil claims that the national team will not enforce Edu’s release clause if he wants to join Arsenal this summer.

While there has been no official confirmation of Edu’s arrival as our new Director of Football it is widely expected to happen when the Copa America wraps up in July.

Edu is under contract with the Brazil Football Federation and has a release clause of around £1.6m. These latest reports claim the federation would waive that fee should he opt to move to London, a change from their stance earlier in the summer when they basically said ‘bugger off’.

Arsenal have been looking for a replacement since it was announced that Sven Mislintat would be leaving way back in February. The German is now long gone and installed at a new club but Arsenal have continued to look around.

Edu has been long-linked with the role but was initially reluctant to leave his job with the Brazil national team. Now, however, he will reportedly do exactly that to return to Arsenal.

He will arrive in London after the Copa America finishes on 7 July.

Back in April, it was claimed that the club had made a decision about Edu but this report from Brazil seemed to make things a bit more concrete.

It says [via Google translate], “Brazilian national team coordinator Edu Gaspar accepted the invitation from Arsenal to direct the club’s football that he defended successfully for five seasons. Shortly after the Copa América had taken the way to London.

“Both he and technician Tite work for Duílio Monteiro Alves to take his place at CBF, with salaries of R $ 200 thousand. It remains to be seen whether Marco Polo Del Nero will let Rogério Caboclo accept.”

It is believed that Gabriel Martinelli will be Edu’s first ‘signing’ for the club.