Former Arsenal director of football Edu has agreed to act as a senior advisor to the new ownership group at Northampton Town. The former Brazil midfielder, who earned 16 caps for his country, steps into the advisory role after departing his position as global head of football at Nottingham Forest in September, having since taken up a seat on the board of directors with Bulgarian top-flight side Levski Sofia.
Northampton currently sit 23rd in League Two following a takeover completed last month by a Brazilian consortium featuring former Chelsea and AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato. Cobblers co-chairman Joao Xavier addressed supporters at an open forum event, stating that the club is "very proud" to have Edu and Pato involved. Xavier, who sought Edu's insight into English football after befriending him during his Forest tenure, stated that Edu will help resolve "sporting questions" whenever required on an ad hoc basis rather than managing day-to-day operations. Xavier also insisted that Northampton "will never be part of a multi-club ownership," confirming no other side is part of the project.
Edu's advisory work comes through linked corporate partnerships connected to Northampton's ownership. London-based investment firm Gemcorp Capital, who own Levski Sofia, are an investor in Sports Alpha Capital—the entity that secured majority shareholder status at Northampton. Xavier noted that Edu acts as a senior advisor for one of the club's partners, serving both Levski Sofia and the League Two outfit when needed.
The appointment gives the fourth-tier club access to an executive who recently spent six years at Arsenal, serving as their first-ever sporting director from 2022 and constructing the squad that won the Gunners their first Premier League title in 22 years last season under manager Mikel Arteta. As a player, the former Valencia midfielder collected two Premier League crowns and two FA Cups with Arsenal. His background also includes a high-profile stint at Nottingham Forest, which came under the spotlight following a disagreement with Nuno Espirito Santo, the first of four managers sacked during Forest's 2025-26 campaign.