Ex-Arsenal chief Edu takes senior advisory role at Northampton Town
Former Arsenal director of football Edu has taken on a new role away from English football's top flight, agreeing to serve as a senior advisor to the new owners of League Two side Northampton Town.
The Brazilian, who spent six years at Arsenal and became the club's first ever sporting director in 2022, left his position as Nottingham Forest's global head of football in September. He has since joined the board of directors at Bulgarian top flight club Levski Sofia, who are owned by London based investment firm Gemcorp Capital.
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That same firm is an investor in Sports Alpha Capital, the group that became Northampton's majority shareholder last month after a Brazilian consortium, featuring former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato, completed a takeover of the League Two club. Northampton currently sit 23rd in the division.
Advisory role, not day to day involvement
Speaking at an open forum event, Cobblers co-chairman Joao Xavier explained how the relationship with Edu came about and outlined the scope of his involvement at Sixfields.
“We are very proud to have Alex [Pato] with us and Edu with us too,” Xavier said. “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,” he added, according to the BBC.
Xavier was also keen to stress that the arrangement does not amount to a multi-club setup. “The club will never be part of a multi-club ownership, no other club is part of our project,” he said.
Edu's journey since leaving Arsenal
Edu's departure from Arsenal in the summer of 2025 brought an end to a hugely influential spell at the club. Having won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a midfielder with the Gunners, he returned in a boardroom capacity and was instrumental in bringing Mikel Arteta to the Emirates.
He also oversaw much of the recruitment that built the squad which delivered Arsenal's first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
His move to Nottingham Forest as global head of football proved far more turbulent. His position came under scrutiny following a disagreement with Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked last September, the first of four managers to take charge at the City Ground during the 2025-26 campaign.
Edu's new advisory roles at Levski Sofia and Northampton mark a considerably lower profile chapter compared to his time shaping one of the Premier League's title winning sides, though his influence on Arsenal's recent success remains part of the club's recent history.
