‘Marinakis has secured an incredible deal – this gives Nottingham Forest instant credibility’
Evangelos Marinakis has been praised for making an ‘incredible’ appointment for Nottingham Forest.
The controversial owner took control of Forest back in 2017, and five years later the club secured promotion back to the Premier League.
Last season, the Nottingham-based side shocked many under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo, by clinching a place in the Conference League.
Now, Marinakis has made a major off-field appointment ahead of the Forest’s foray into Europe, bringing Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar to the City Ground, to become the club’s ‘global head of football’.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the addition is a “clever” and “intelligent” move from the Greek billionaire.
Marinakis and Edu are ‘diametrically opposed’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that Marinakis should get “full credit” for such a smart appointment.
Edu has been Arsenal’s sporting director since 2022, overseeing the club’s recruitment and operations.
Wyness added that Marinakis and the Brazilian are “like chalk and cheese” which will create a good-cop, bad-cop dynamic.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “We’ve known about this for a while. It’s been talked about for a while.
“I’ve got to give Marinakis full credit for this appointment because Edu and Marinakis are chalk and cheese. I mean, they are so diametrically opposed as personalities, it’s incredible.
“I think that Marinakis is clever and intelligent to have appointed Edu to be his good cop, and I think that’s a great appointment.
“Edu is such a lovely guy. He’s so well respected. He has such a lovely manner and he will be adored by the staff, which I’m sure he already is. In international circles, he is so well thought of and respected, and I think this will give instant credibility to Nottingham Forest.”
Gibbs-White agrees terms with Premier League giant
Meanwhile, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White has agreed personal terms with Manchester City.
The Premier League giants have been working behind the scenes on a deal for the Nottingham Forest playmaker.
There is no agreement yet between the clubs, but Gibbs-White is believed to have made up his mind on joining City.
Forest are reluctant to sell Gibbs-White as well as Anthony Elanga in the same window but financial constraints mean they are likely to do so.
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