Report: Edu Gaspar spearheading Nottingham Forest move to pinch long-term Arsenal target

03/22/2025 09:15 AM

Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for signings to boost Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad for European football, with one target personally admired by Edu Gaspar.

Whilst Edu doesn’t work for Forest specifically, his links with Evangelos Marinakis’ wider football group have led to plenty of rumours about the Reds signing players with Arsenal links.

Remarkably, Forest were linked with re-signing Nuno Tavares after it was Edu who initially brought him to English football with Arsenal, whilst Edu’s departure from the Gunners has inadvertently helped Forest in another way as Arsenal are no longer interested in signing Igor Jesus.

The ex-director of the North London also looks to be impacting Marinakis’ plans away from Forest as well, helping Marinakis’ push to purchase a Brazilian football club, something Edu was also working on for Arsenal before he left.

Sticking with on-pitch matters, though, Edu looks set to come in handy once more as Forest look set to pursue one of the Brazilian’s long-term Arsenal targets.

Nottingham Forest will push to sign Douglas Luiz in the summer

Forest were linked with Douglas Luiz in January, with the Juventus man seen as perhaps a luxury signing at the time with the likes of Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare returning from injury.

It’s remained no secret that the Italian giants are looking to cash in on the Brazilian midfielder, though, with Tuttosport reporting that Marinakis will return for Luiz in the summer.

The report said: “The team of president Evangelos Marinakis [Forest] had already tried in January, but on that occasion, Juventus did not seem too convinced to let go of the Brazilian midfielder.

“If Douglas were not to be central to the future plans of the Bianconeri, at that point he would be ready to settle elsewhere. And here Forest comes back into play, having continued to weave the plot of a possible negotiation with the agent of the metronome, Kia Joorabchian in recent weeks.”

It was said on deadline day that Luiz was happy at Juventus amid exit rumours, but his injury-plagued season in the black and white kit may have changed that opinion, especially given that when he has been fit, Thiago Motta hasn’t exactly favoured him as a starter.

Should Forest want to tempt the Brazilian’s fate, Marinakis has a secret weapon in the form of Edu to help persuade Luiz to jump ship back to the Premier League.

Edu Gaspar is a long-term admirer of Douglas Luiz

Luiz has only made three starts for Juventus this season, who sit fifth in Serie A with Champions League football not a certainty. If the Brazilian does need an extra reason to join Forest, though, he can look no further than Edu himself.

The report continued: “The latter [Joorabchian] is on excellent terms with […] Edu Gaspar, who – fatefully – is a great admirer of Douglas Luiz.

“So much so that he has tried several times to bring him to Arsenal in the last two years. A failed mission but one that highlights the technical appreciation for the player”

Luiz’s technical ability was on display throughout his Aston Villa career so it’s no wonder Edu was interested in taking him to Arsenal, scoring ten goals and assisting the same number in his final season in English football.

Forest will look for a striker in the summer but the pedigree of someone like Luiz could greatly benefit the Forest coaching staff, who may want to reach out to Edu to help push this move over the line.