A "unique" manager turned down the opportunity to join Nottingham Forest before Evangelos Marinakis appointed Ange Postecoglou, it has been revealed.
Marinakis and Forest move swiftly to appoint Ange
After publicly commenting on his poor relationship with Marinakis, Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed just three games into the new Premier League campaign, in what has to go down as one of the harshest sackings in the division's history.
The Forest owner wasted no time appointing a replacement for the Portuguese manager, who led the Tricky Trees to Europe for the first time in 30 years, with Postecoglou arriving on Tuesday.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates after winning the Europa League
Reacting to the news of Nuno's departure during Serbia vs England coverage, Roy Keane made it clear he has "no sympathy" for the 51-year-old, as the sacking was always to be expected, given Marinakis' tendencies.
Postecoglou will also be under pressure to hit the ground running, particularly considering Nuno will be a tough act to follow, and it has since emerged that the Australian wasn't the only manager being considered for the role.
According to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), Rayo Vallecano manager Inigo Perez turned down the opportunity to replace Nuno at Nottingham Forest, after emerging as one of the hierarchy's main choices.
Perez was on the final shortlist, which consisted of just three names, but the move fell through, with the 37-year-old turning down a move to The City Ground, as the 'timing and conditions' of the offer were deemed unsuitable.
"Unique" Perez impressing in La Liga
While a move to The City Ground ultimately didn't tempt the young manager, a move to another club may be on the cards at some point in the near future, given the job he has done at Rayo Vallecano.
The Spaniard led the La Liga club to an eighth-place finish in La Liga last season, securing qualification for the UEFA Conference League in the process, which was a major improvement on the 17th-place finish from the previous season.
Perez's Rayo Vallecano record
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
Points per match
Former teammate Ibai Gomez has also spoken fondly of the Rayo Vallecano boss in the past, saying: "He's a very intelligent person and very unique in the world of football because he liked to analyze things from a positive perspective."
That said, it would've been a gamble to appoint Perez, given that he is unproven in the Premier League, with Postecoglou much more experienced, winning 13 senior trophies as a manager, including the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season.