Only three months after leaving Spurs, Big Ange is back in the limelight as he has returned to management at Nottm Forest to oversee an “ambitious” project as Evangelos Marinakis targets silverware sharpish.
Nuno Espirito Santo is the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season and his dismissal will likely prove to be the harshest.
Under Nuno, Nottm Forest enjoyed a rapid rise from relegation contender to European qualifier. Yet, with Marinakis at the helm, the serene climate forged by the head coach was never going to last, and chaos has returned at the start of this season amid the widely reported fall-out between the club’s top brass.
This contributed to making Nuno’s position untenable, though his pragmatic playing style was also an ‘issue’ for Marinakis, who has opted to go down the exciting route with Postecoglou.
Postecoglou has showcased his adaptability on occasion, particularly in last season’s Europa League final, though there is a stark contrast between his and Nuno’s footballing philosophies.
So, more Premier League woes could be looming for the former Spurs boss as he tries to shame Ruben Amorim, again, by implementing a new playing style mid-season, with Forest’s current squad far more suited to the former head coach’s preferred tactical approach.
For now, we can only speculate on what Postecoglou’s Forest will look like, but they will certainly be active in the transfer market in the coming windows. Were the head coach to reunite with former favourites at Spurs and/or Celtic, deals for any of these six players are probably the most feasible…
Yves Bissouma
Last month, Bissouma’s proposed move to the Turkish Super Lig fell through due to fitness issues, so Spurs are stuck (for now) with the central midfielder, who Thomas Frank has already publicly called out for his persistent lateness.
The tale of Bissouma at Spurs is one of what could have been, as he’s been held back by injury woes and reported attitude issues, though his best spell in a Tottenham jersey came during Postecoglou’s reign as he was one of the head coach’s most-used players.
Still only 29, Bissouma has time to silence his many critics and he certainly has the talent to shine in the Premier League if given a fresh start, particularly if Forest lose Man Utd-linked Elliot Anderson in January.
READ: Forest go for Postecoglou chaos, but Mourinho might actually be less mad choice
Cameron Carter-Vickers
The Spurs academy product did not cut the mustard at his boyhood club and was signed by Postecoglou in the head coach’s final summer window at Celtic for around £6m.
Carter-Vickers has grown at Celtic as he’s been a star performer over the past three seasons, with his form sparking interest from several Premier League clubs in this summer’s window.
Postecoglou could view his former centre-back as a useful squad player or potential fill-in for Murillo, who should be one to watch in next summer’s transfer window after interest from the Bix Six did not accelerate this summer.
Jota
Postecoglou loves Jota and Jota loves Postecoglou, with the head coach reportedly keen on re-signing the winger during his time at Spurs.
53 goal involvements in 85 appearances was an impressive tally in Jota’s first spell at Celtic and he’s returned to the Scottish giants after failing to replicate that success at Al-Ittihad and Rennes.
The 26-year-old kicked off where he left off at Celtic, though he has been out with an ACL injury since April and is not due back until January. Still, a strong end to this season may be enough to restart his love-in with Postecoglou next season.
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Daizen Maeda
As proven by Celtic’s disappointing Champions League exit and that dire match against Rangers, this is a poor Hoops side and prized asset Maeda cannot be blamed for reportedly having itchy feet for a transfer before this summer’s deadline.
The 27-year-old, who is only under contract until 2027, will no doubt be disappointed not to get a move, though Postecoglou to Nottm Forest could open another exit avenue.
After his 33-goal campaign in 2024/25, Maeda has outgrown Celtic and is deserving of an upward next step and would be a wise signing for Nottm Forest, who would land a versatile forward to ease the load off their current crop in a European season.
READ: Nottingham Forest screwed it; even fans hope ‘owner gets everything he deserves’
Destiny Udogie
Following Udogie’s move to Spurs, the left-back, like Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven, was expected to be a mainstay in the first team for many years as the 22-year-old has huge potential.
But Udogie has not kicked on as much as Porro and has been caught by a resurgent Djed Spence, whose England bow against Serbia was a justified reward after showing immense adversity to save his Spurs career and thrive as a starter.
With that, Spence appears to be ahead of Udogie in the pecking order at Spurs, so an ambitious move from Forest is not entirely out of the question.
Mathys Tel
Before joining Spurs, Tel was bigged up as a future world star by Bayern Munich, though this currently looks like a negotiating tactic as they were more than happy to cash in and he’s yet to produce anything of note in the Premier League.
The 20-year-old’s sudden fall from grace is proved by his omission from Tottenham’s Champions League squad, with the forward among the £91.4m Spurs quartet already being targeted by Postecoglou.
Postecoglou played a key role in Spurs landing Tel in January, while he jumped to his defence for adapting well despite his below-par displays, so it’s clear that he is an admirer of the young forward, who may need another step down for regular game time and boost his chances of eventually realising his potential.