Former Arsenal chief Edu takes advisory role at League Two Northampton
Edu, the man credited with building Arsenal's title winning squad, has taken on a senior advisory role with the new Brazilian owners of League Two club Northampton Town.
The former Arsenal director of football will help the Cobblers navigate what co-chairman Joao Xavier called 'sporting questions' on an ad hoc basis, following a Brazilian consortium's takeover of the club last month. The group features former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato.
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Speaking at an open forum event, as reported by BBC Sport, Xavier explained how the relationship with Edu developed. 'We are very proud to have Alex with us and Edu with us too,' he said. 'We became friends as he had a role at Nottingham Forest and I asked him to help me learn more about English football.'
He added more detail on the scope of Edu's involvement. '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.'
Xavier was also keen to stress that Northampton will not become part of a wider multi-club network despite the various overlapping investments. 'The club will never be part of a multi-club ownership, no other club is part of our project,' he said.
From Arsenal to Forest to Levski
Edu left Arsenal in 2025 to become Nottingham Forest's global head of football, a move that ended after a disagreement with Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked last September as the first of four managers Forest went through during the 2025-26 campaign.
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. Gemcorp are also investors in Sports Alpha Capital, the group that has become Northampton's majority shareholder, which explains the connection running through all three clubs.
Arsenal legacy remains significant
Edu's six years at Arsenal left a lasting mark on the club. He became Arsenal's first ever sporting director in 2022 after previously winning two Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a midfielder at the club.
It was Edu who brought Mikel Arteta to Emirates Stadium and oversaw much of the recruitment that built the squad which delivered Arsenal's first Premier League title in 22 years last season. His influence on the current Arsenal squad continues to be felt even as he now operates across three very different projects in England, Bulgaria and League Two.
Northampton currently sit 23rd in League Two, and it remains to be seen how much of an impact Edu's occasional advisory input can have on a club fighting at the wrong end of the fourth tier.
