It’s all kicking off at Nottingham Forest, with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo apparently falling out with owner Evangelos Marinakis, and Wolves cult hero Adama Traore is involved.
It seemed like Nuno Espirito Santo had really found his feet at Forest after an admittedly disappointing stint at Spurs.
The Portuguese boss took Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, having been in the top four for most of the campaign.
Nuno Espirito Santo is the Nottingham Forest head coach during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Southampton
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How mind-boggling it is then, that the relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has reportedly soured.
Nuno Espirito Santo left fuming after move for Adama Traore is blocked
Adama Traore broke through at Wolves under Nuno. Never the most polished, technical winger, but he possessed a physicality unrivalled before or since in the Premier League. His best form came under Nuno, putting up 13 goal involvements en route to a 7th-place finish in 2020.
The Spaniard was a frustrating player at times, but Nuno knew how to get the most out of him and wanted to reunite with Traore this summer, as Ben Jacobs reports for talkSPORT.
Understand Nuno was left when fuming when Edu blocked a move for Adama Traore earlier this summer despite positive internal talks over making a move.
Forest boss has been considering his future long before the dramatic press conference today.🔽 https://t.co/l7Kut9bR1t
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 22, 2025
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Sporting director Edu blocked the move, and that appears to have been the final straw for an already unhappy manager.
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To be writing about Nuno and Adama in the big ’25 wasn’t on my bingo card, but here we are.
Nottingham Forest could be in trouble if Nuno leaves
Nuno transformed Forest last season, elevating them into a different tier of Premier League club, so to see the ownership so quick to fall out with him is surprising.
It’s hard to imagine the Adama drama is the sole cause of this conflict. It’s that same old tale of ownership pride clashing with a headstrong coach, and the coach rarely wins.
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FBL-ENG-PR-LEICESTER-NOTTINGHAM FOREST
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Forest have managed to hold onto most of their core from last season. But given how they won so many of their games, vastly outperforming their xG and parking the bus for 70 minutes most weekends, the idea of them enjoying the same success this campaign feels unlikely.
If they let a manager of Nuno’s stature and ability go, it starts to look impossible.