The former Arsenal sporting director has linked up with another English club after leaving Nottingham Forest

Arsenal’s former sporting director Edu has been confirmed as a new senior advisor for League Two side Northampton Town. The appointment comes just a month after the club was taken over by a Brazilian consortium including former forward Alexandre Pato.

Edu left Arsenal in November 2024 and took up a role as global head of football for the group of clubs owned by Evangelos Marinakis, including Nottingham Forest, in the summer of 2025. He left just over a year later and is now on the board of directors with Levski Sofia.

Speaking at an open forum on Thursday, Northampton co-chair Joao Xavier confirmed the link-up with Edu. “We are very proud to have Alex [Pato] with us and Edu with us too,” he said.

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“We became friends as he had a role at Nottingham Forest and I asked him to help me learn more about English football.

"Edu is a senior advisor for one of our partners, acting as an advisor for Levski Sofia and also here, helping us navigate the sporting questions here at the club, not day to day, just when we ask him and when we need him.”

The link between the new owners and Sofia come with the Bulgarian club’s owners having investments in the Cobblers’ new majority shareholder, Sports Alpha Capital. But any concerns over it possibly leading to a multi-club model have been eased by Xavier.

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“The club will never be part of a multi-club ownership,” he added. “No other club is part of our project.”

Edu spent six years with Nottingham Forest and became the club’s first sporting director in 2022. He played a key role in the arrival of Mikel Arteta and oversaw the recruitment of the majority of last season’s Premier League title-winning squad.

The Brazilian also spent three-and-a-half years as a player at Arsenal between 2002 and 2005. During that time, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.

Northampton currently sit in 23rd position in the League Two table. They are back in action on Saturday as they host Colchester United (12.30pm kick-off).