Nottm Forest: Two problems threaten box-office Mourinho, Marinakis link-up as ‘top target’ decided

According to reports, two problems could prevent a box-office link-up between Jose Mourinho and Evangelos Marinakis at Nottingham Forest.

It is never quiet at Nottm Forest and this week has been particularly newsworthy, with it being widely reported that Nuno Espirito Santo’s job is at risk.

Nuno has done a brilliant job since replacing Steve Cooper at the end of 2023, guiding Nottm Forest to Premier League safety in 2023/24 before guiding the club to a shock seventh-place finish last season.

Despite this, Nuno and the controversial owner Marinakis clashed towards the end of last season as Nottm Forest experienced a rough spell, falling out of the Champions League places.

Since then, Nuno and Marinakis’ relationship appears to have deteriorated and a report on Friday morning revealed that the Forest chief is ‘considering sacking’ the head coach.

READ: Nuno clear sack race favourite despite Potter’s horror start at West Ham

Since this emerged, Nuno has become the odds-on favourite to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season, while it’s also been reported that he has had a ‘spectacular fallout’ with Edu.

In recent days, Nottm Forest have been linked with several potential replacements, with The Sun reporting that former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur boss Mourinho is a ‘surprise’ contender to replace Nuno.

Since leaving Spurs, Mourinho has had spells at AS Roma and Fenerbahce, with the report claiming he has been ‘included in Forest’s list’ of contenders to replace Nuno, with a ‘return’ to the Premier League ‘lined up’.

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The Mourinho and Marinakis link-up would deliver fireworks, but sadly, a subsequent report from The Sun claims two problems could prevent Nottingham Forest from landing the current Fenerbahce boss.

This is because Mourinho ‘would be expensive and comes with his own fiery reputation’.

Therefore, the same report claims Nottm Forest have settled on Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers as their ‘top target’ to replace Nuno, who is ‘expected to get the boot this week’.

Rodgers is said to be ‘hugely admired’ by Marinakis and is available for an affordable fee as he is the final year of his current Celtic contract.

The report adds:

‘Straight-talking Marinakis has had his sights on Rodgers for months. And the time may be right to strike soon to bring the former Liverpool and Leicester manager back to England. He is in the final year of his Bhoys deal and he has walked out on them before. If he left again the compensation fee would not be an issue.

‘Ange Postecoglou, 59, has also been linked with Forest and is clear to take a job after leaving Tottenham in the summer. But he may yet replace Rodgers at Celtic.’