Edu Gaspar is stepping into a new chapter at Nottingham Forest. The club has officially appointed the former Arsenal executive to a brand-new position: head of soccer operations. It’s a move that signals intent.
After parting ways with Arsenal last November, Edu now takes charge of Forest’s entire soccer structure. His role goes far beyond a title, he’s been brought in to professionalize, unify, and give identity to a club that’s long been searching for stability in the Premier League.
The architect of Arsenal’s rebuild now has a new project
If there’s one person who came to represent Arsenal’s modern transformation, it’s Edu. He joined the Gunners in 2019, started out as technical director, took some heat early on, climbed to director of soccer, and ultimately left with the club in a far better place than he found it. Under his watch, Arsenal evolved, younger, sharper, with a clearer sense of who they wanted to be on and off the pitch.
When his departure was announced in late 2023, Arsenal openly credited Edu for helping reshape the club’s soccer strategy and moving things forward with a long-term vision. He wasn’t just an executive, he became part of the fabric of the new Arsenal.
And that’s the kind of leadership Nottingham Forest is now betting on. Once a giant of European soccer, with back-to-back titles in the late ’70s, Forest has spent the last couple of decades trying to get back to where it once belonged. Last season, they came close. The team finished seventh in the Premier League, just one point behind Aston Villa, who clinched a place in the UEFA Conference League. It wasn’t quite the return to Europe fans had hoped for, but it was proof that progress is real.
Once a giant of European soccer, with back-to-back titles in the late ’70s, Forest has spent the last couple of decades trying to get back to where it once belonged. Last season, they came close. The team finished seventh in the Premier League, just one point behind Aston Villa, who clinched a place in the UEFA Conference League. It wasn’t quite the return to Europe fans had hoped for, but it was proof that progress is real.
Now, with Edu on board, the club is signaling that “close” isn’t good enough.
From locker room leader to front-office mind
Edu’s background gives him something most executives don’t have: firsthand experience with the game at every level. He was a respected midfielder at Corinthians and Arsenal, hung up his boots in 2011, and almost immediately moved into a leadership role at his former club. For five years, he helped steer Corinthians through one of the most successful and stable periods in their modern history.
That was just the start. From there, Edu took on a role with Iran’s national team as a technical advisor, then became Brazil’s national team coordinator. During his time with the Seleção, Brazil lifted the 2019 Copa América — ending a 12-year title drought. He’s worked with national teams, massive fan bases, front offices under pressure, and player development pipelines in both South America and Europe.
His journey has blended on-field understanding with off-field strategy in a way that’s rare, and increasingly valuable in today’s game.
Forest gives him a blank canvas
Nottingham Forest isn’t Arsenal, not in terms of budget, infrastructure, or global reach. But this isn’t the chaotic Forest of old, either. There’s ambition here. There’s investment. And now, there’s a chance to finally build something with direction.
Edu walks into this role with freedom to shape almost every part of the club’s soccer operations. Recruitment, performance strategy, player development, data use, it’s all under his umbrella. The position was created for him, and that tells you everything you need to know about the expectations.