Former Arsenal Transfer Chief Officially Joins Premier League Rivals | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest unveiled former Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar as their new ‘Global Head of Football’.

To the surprise of many, Edu announced his abrupt exit from Arsenal in November 2024, ending a five-year spell back in the hierarchy of a club he had previously played for with such distinction.

Edu described his Arsenal resignation as “an incredibly hard decision” and was warmly thanked by co-chair Josh Kroenke and manager Mikel Arteta. It was quickly rumoured that the Brazilian would move to a more wide-ranging role at the stable of clubs under Evangelos Marinakis’s umbrella of influence.

“I’m truly excited about this new chapter and honoured by the trust placed in me,” Edu told Nottingham Forest’s official website. “This project connects deeply with my values around innovation and long-term planning. I look forward to building a global football model that is competitive, sustainable, and aligned with our president’s ambition.”

The club revealed that Edu “will oversee all football-related functions, including recruitment, performance, squad strategy, and player development,” with those responsibilities expected to extend to Forest’s sister clubs Olympiacos and Rio Ave.

Marinakis added: “We are extremely happy to welcome Edu to our football family. His global experience, values and winning mindset align perfectly with our objective to strengthen and expand our international football platform.”

Arsenal spent months searching for Edu’s replacement, muddling their way through the January transfer window with his former assistant, Jason Ayto, at the helm. After much deliberation, the Gunners eventually turned to Andrea Berta. The former Atlético Madrid chief has already overseen the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martín Zubimendi—although the foundations of the deal for the latter were reportedly laid by Edu and his team.

Berta is now focused on forcing through a move for Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres, a player he supposedly convinced the club to prioritise rather than Arteta’s preferred option of Benjamin Šeško.