Former Arsenal chief Edu takes advisory role at Northampton Town
Edu's post Arsenal career continues to take unexpected turns. The former Gunners director of football will serve as a senior advisor to Northampton Town's new owners, according to BBC Sport.
The League Two club, currently 23rd in the table, was taken over last month by a Brazilian consortium that includes former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato. Edu will reportedly help the Cobblers with football matters on an ad hoc basis rather than in a day to day capacity.
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Cobblers co-chairman Joao Xavier explained the connection at an open forum event, saying the relationship stemmed from Edu's time working in English football. 'We are very proud to have Alex 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.'
Xavier was also clear that Northampton will not become part of any multi club network. 'The club will never be part of a multi-club ownership, no other club is part of our project,' he said.
A winding road since leaving Arsenal
Edu's departure from Arsenal in 2023 ended a six year spell in which he became the club's first ever sporting director, a role he took up in 2022. He was instrumental in bringing Mikel Arteta to the Emirates and oversaw much of the recruitment that built the squad which won the Premier League title last season, the club's first in 22 years.
His move to Nottingham Forest as global head of football proved far more turbulent. A reported disagreement with Nuno Espirito Santo preceded the manager's sacking last September, the first of four managerial changes at the City Ground during the 2025-26 campaign. Edu left his Forest role in September this year.
Since then, he has joined the board of directors at Bulgarian top flight club Levski Sofia, who are owned by London based investment firm Gemcorp Capital. Gemcorp is also an investor in Sports Alpha Capital, the group that completed the Northampton takeover, which explains the overlap in Edu's new advisory duties.
As a player, Edu made his name at Arsenal as a combative midfielder before later representing Valencia, and he earned 16 caps for Brazil during his career. His football career since leaving north London now spans boardrooms in England and Bulgaria, as well as his latest informal advisory role in League Two.
