Edu departs Nottingham Forest after failed transfers and fractured relationships end his tenure

Edu has been removed from his position as Nottingham Forest’s Global Head of Football, ending a troubled tenure that lasted less than two years and fell well short of the ambitions that drew him to the City Ground in the first place.

The 48-year-old Brazilian left Arsenal in the summer of 2023 on the back of back-to-back Premier League runners-up finishes, his reputation at a high after helping Mikel Arteta rebuild the club into genuine title contenders. The appeal of working within Evangelos Marinakis’ multi-club model — which also encompasses Olympiacos and Rio Ave — was a significant factor in his decision to leave north London.

But the move never gained traction. According to The Telegraph, the scope of work assigned to Edu was not what he had envisaged when he accepted the role, and he has acknowledged struggling to build productive relationships with key figures within Marinakis’ organisation. His working relationship with then-head coach Nuno Espirito Santo also deteriorated publicly, contributing to Nuno’s eventual departure.

The cracks had been visible for months. Edu had not attended a Forest match since February and had not been seen at the City Ground or the club’s training facility since early March, long before his exit was made official.

On the pitch, the transfer decisions he influenced failed to deliver. Edu led the pursuit of Igor Jesus from Botafogo, oversaw the £37.5 million signing of Omari Hutchinson, and facilitated loan deals for Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko — only three of those four players remain at the club. The addition of James McAtee from Manchester City was considered a promising move, but the young midfielder struggled for consistency amid the constant managerial upheaval that defined Forest’s season.

That upheaval was significant. Last season Forest cycled through four managers — Nuno, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira — as the club narrowly avoided relegation after finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe the previous campaign. Oliver Glasner has since taken charge.

With Edu sidelined internally, the club’s summer transfer business was handled by other figures within the organisation, effectively rendering his role redundant before the formal announcement of his exit.

The contrast with his Arsenal legacy is stark. During his time at the Emirates, Edu was instrumental in signing Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães and club-record acquisition Declan Rice — the core of the squad that went on to win the Premier League title after his departure. He was also part of the Invincibles side that went unbeaten through the 2003-04 season.

When he left Arsenal, Edu described it as “an incredibly hard decision” and spoke of pursuing “a different challenge.” That challenge, ultimately, did not unfold as he had hoped.