When Arsenal announced Mikel Arteta had signed a new contract on Sept. 12, the Premier League club's manager was effusive in his praise of sporting director Edu Gaspar.
"He was the first one to knock on my door before I joined and he made a big call to put all the trust he had in me to drive this massive boat in the direction and the way we both had a vision to do it -- and it's been pivotal," Arteta said. "Our relationship has been incredibly strong, very honest, very transparent and I'm very grateful for that.