Edu exit seems inevitable as Forest dream falls flat
Brazilian oversaw £200m of signings but costly flops put paid to three managers and left head of football sidelined
Nottingham Forest have sacked three managers and burnt through almost £200m in signings in this turbulent season but, seemingly against the odds, Edu Gaspar is still at the club.
The question now, though, is for how long? The club’s global head of football is thought to be under serious scrutiny, with Forest in danger of plunging into the Championship.
Such a scenario was not the plan when Edu was poached from Arsenal in November 2024. Forest were flying high in the Premier League and challenging for Champions League qualification.
Despite a late stumble, Nuno Espirito Santo secured the club’s return to European competition for the first time in 30 years.
The appointment of Edu was supposed to elevate Forest to the next level under their mega-ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis. After his arrival in July, following a period of gardening leave, a statement outlined Edu’s remit to “oversee all football-related functions, including recruitment, performance, squad strategy and player development”.
However, it has backfired to such an extent that the Brazilian is now under huge pressure to retain his job. Sources with knowledge of Forest’s operations believe it is a matter of when, not if, he leaves.
Nuno’s departure in September, three games into the season, may have been inevitable after he went public on the collapse of his relationship with Marinakis.
Yet it was the complete breakdown of trust with Edu that accelerated his exit. It is understood that Nuno’s dislike of Edu was so strong that he would even purposely walk the other way if he was heading in his direction.
Even now with Nuno gone, Edu has been marginalised and is nowhere near key decisions. When Sean Dyche was sacked last week, it is alleged that Edu was not even consulted or present in discussions.
It was the senior players who expressed concerns about Dyche’s management and methods, with Marinakis enacting another dismissal shortly after the 0-0 draw with Wolves. It resulted in Vitor Pereira becoming the fourth head coach of the season, with 12 league games left.
Dyche’s abrupt departure has only increased the pressure on Edu. It was he and George Syrianos, the club’s sporting director, who pushed for his appointment and that was reflected in the statement announcing his arrival, which referred to a “thorough recruitment process”. Dyche lasted for only 114 days, which is still almost three times longer than his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.
Many signings attributed to the influence of Edu, or his close associate Kia Joorabchian, have also proved bitter disappointments. Edu was responsible for the capture of Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko on summer deadline day. Zinchenko barely featured and, with no recall option agreed with Arsenal, Forest had to scramble around in January to find another club who would take over the loan.
Juventus loanee Douglas Luiz also proved a poor signing, when other senior recruitment figures wanted Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes who subsequently joined West Ham. Luiz is now at former club Aston Villa after his loan was cancelled.
Arnaud Kalimuendo, signed for £26m from Rennes in August, was loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt after just four months. He was recently named as the Bundesliga club’s player of the month for January.
Edu was involved in the January window, negotiating the signings of Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca and left-back Luca Netz from Borussia Monchengladbach. Netz has been left out of the Europa League squad. The number of issues have raised doubts over how long Edu will be allowed to retain his job, which is believed to be worth £4m a year.
Away from the struggles of the Premier League, Forest must now focus their attention on Europe again. Pereira’s first game will be the Europa League knockout playoff first leg against Turkish giants Fenerbahce tonight.
Fans have fully embraced the competition, trekking around destinations such as Seville, Utrecht, Graz and Braga in their thousands. These excursions have felt like a welcome break from the frustrations of league results back home.
With Forest in such grave danger of relegation, the question now is whether the Europa League suddenly becomes a possible distraction. Finishing outside the top eight has already added two matches to a busy schedule.
Marinakis invested £200m in new players last summer to try to give the club every chance of winning the trophy.
With the visit of champions Liverpool looming on Sunday, the trip to Istanbul is an awkward contest for Pereira to navigate. Before the first leg, the Portuguese insisted he would only have one target in mind.
“The intention is to go there and face them with our tools, and with our qualities, and try to get three points,” he said. “This is my personality, I cannot be another person. I cannot go with fear because I don’t like fear in football.
“I never prepare my team to draw, never. In the next game against Liverpool it will be the same. I like a team with personality and courage, and with the confidence to face them. The target is always to win the next game.”
Now those close to Forest wonder how long Edu will be part of the latest revolution.