Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is ready to “move forward” with a new contract for head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, it has been claimed.
Nuno has been the subject of speculation over the past week, with reports linking him with a move away from the City Ground. Roma were said to be keen, although Italian publications went on to dismiss those rumours, while he was also said to have interest from Saudi Arabia.
The Reds missing out on Champions League qualification with last Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea led to the Portuguese being questioned about his future. However, he is said to still have the backing of Marinakis.
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo reports the Forest chief “is willing to move forward” with agreeing a new deal for Nuno. The 51-year-old has 12 months left to run on his current contract after agreeing two-and-a-half-year terms when he replaced Steve Cooper at the helm in December 2023.
In the wake of the recent rumours and the Reds slipping out of the top five to finish seventh in the Premier League table, Nuno was asked on Sunday whether he expected to still be at the club for the 2025/26 season. He replied: “Look, this is not the moment to speak about me, not even think about me. It is about the club and the idea for next season.”
Although Forest stuttered in the final weeks of the campaign, they have made remarkable progress under Nuno. European football is set to return to the banks of the Trent for the first time in 30 years after a place in the UEFA Conference League was secured. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals.
It represents a significant turnaround from the previous two campaigns when the Reds were battling to avoid relegation. The aim now is to ensure this season is not a one-off.
Nuno is convinced the building blocks are in place for Forest to push on again. He said: “We are in a good place. The platform we have is good. Now it is time to reflect and start working on the future.”
Prior to Sunday’s match, Nuno had said of being linked with Roma: “Do you really think I'm going to waste time on that? So many things to think about and so much to get ready.
“My main focus is on preparing the team, trying to get the best solutions and details for the players. Nothing else.”
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