Former Arsenal and Nottingham Forest transfer chief Edu has joined Bulgarian side Levski Sofia.

The Brazilian, 48, left Forest earlier this month after his contract was terminated following a difficult stint as the club's global head of football.

And he has jumped straight into a new role, with Levski Sofia appointing a new five-person board of directors that includes Edu, as per The Athletic.

In a statement, Levski said: 'His experience in sports strategy, selection, talent development and organisational building will be an important asset for the club on its path to a sustainable and competitive football structure.'

Edu's exact role at the Bulgarian champions has not been specified, yet they added that the board of directors will elect a chair and the club's executive director at a forthcoming meeting.

Edu's appointment was approved at Levski's general shareholders' meeting, with three other new board members - Claudio Pracownik, Felipe Berliner and Matthew Cherry - also coming on board alongside current executive director Daniel Borimirov.

Levski's changes in their hierarchy come despite the club winning their first Bulgarian league title since 2009 last year, a triumph that ended domestic rivals Ludogorets' world record run of 14 successive league titles.

Edu returned to Arsenal as technical director in 2019 having played 127 times for the Gunners during his playing career.

He became sporting director in 2022 and was widely hailed for his role in helping to reshape and improve the club under Mikel Arteta, before he announced his resignation in November 2024.

Edu subsequently joined Forest in July 2025, where his role as global head of football also saw him oversee football operations within the multi-club structure of owner Evangelos Marinakis's footballing empire at Olympiacos and Rio Ave.

However, the move didn't work out after Forest made several poor signings under his watch, while he also fell out with Nuno Espirito Santo, the first of four managers at the City Ground last season.

Reports in March circulated that Edu was set to leave the club, before it was confirmed this month, with the Brazilian attending his last Forest game in February.

Reports had also emerged that he had been told by the Premier League club not to visit either the training ground or stadium.

Levski are currently five points clear at the top of the league after nine games, and their squad includes former West Ham youngster Armstrong Oko-Flex and one-time Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic.

They will also compete in the Europa League this season after losing in the final Champions League play-off round to AEK Athens.