Nottingham Forest in talks with Nuno as Cooper sacked – source

Nottingham Forest have started talks with Nuno Espírito Santo to become their next manager after Steve Cooper was sacked on Tuesday following a run which saw them lose five of their last six games, a source told ESPN.

Espírito Santo has previously managed Premier League sides Wolves and Tottenham. His last job was with Saudi side Al-Ittihad, who he guided to the league title in May before being sacked last month.

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Forest are 17th in the league and have won just one of their last 13 matches. Cooper becomes only the second manager sacked by a Premier League club this season after Paul Heckingbottom was relieved of his duties by Sheffield United earlier this month.

“Steve Cooper was today dismissed as head coach of Nottingham Forest, after more than two years in charge of the club,” the club said in a statement.

“Everyone at Nottingham Forest would like to thank Steve for his superb contribution to our football club,” said owner Evangelos Marinakis.

“His success in guiding Forest to the Premier League will undoubtedly remain an iconic moment in the club’s history.”

Cooper returned Forest to the Premier League 23 years after being relegated under legendary former manager Brian Clough, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the 2022 Championship qualifiers.

He managed to bring Forest to safety in their first season in the Premier League, after the club signed 23 new players in the summer and then seven more in January, securing their survival with victory against Arsenal in May.

Forest host Bournemouth in the Championship on Saturday.