NOTTINGHAM FOREST’s plot to replace Nuno Espirito Santo with Brendan Rodgers has received a major boost.
SunSport exclusively revealed on Saturday that Celtic’s head coach, former Liverpool manager Rodgers, is heavily admired by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Brendan Rodgers saw his side crash out of the Champions League last night
AlamyHe’s been linked with replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest[/caption]
Last night, Celtic suffered a shock exit from the Champions League after losing a bleak penalty shootout to Kazakhstan minnows Kairat Almaty.
SunSport understands Celtic’s demotion to the Europa League will make Rodgers’ exit from the Scottish champions much easier if Forest push to hire him.
The interest in Rodgers comes after Espirito Santo revealed his relationship with Marinakis, 58, has become fractured.
It follows the Portuguese manager making public his concerns that the club had been slow in the transfer window this summer.
Former Arsenal director and current global head of football at the City Ground, Edu Gaspar, reportedly had a bust-up with Espirito Santo as well after the Portuguese manager voiced his concerns with the club’s transfer activity.
Marinakis has a shortlist lined up for potential replacements if they pull the plug on Nuno, with Nottingham Forest being linked with Marco Silva, Ange Postecoglou and Jose Mourinho.
However, Rodgers is the clear front runner.
The Hoops will be desperate to keep Rodgers, 52, who has them seated at the top of the Scottish Premier League after their first three games, as they look to win their fifth league title in a row.
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Having walked out on the club once before to join Leicester in 2019, Brendan Rodgers, last week insisted there would not be another repeat.
He said: “Listen, I said from the first day and there’s no hidden messages and there’s no this and that. I said I’d be here three years. I’m here for three years.”
Nuno, 51, who took Forest to their first European football campaign since the 1995-96 season, was asked if he was offended at being linked to an exit following his achievements at the City Ground.
He said: “This is how football is. There are things that I myself cannot control. What I said is, and I had a long thought about it, is my concern for the squad.
“These boys last season achieved something fantastic. If we as a club don’t help them in terms of numbers, in terms of quality and talent, everything will go.
“So we have ahead of us the Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup. You know how many games this means for us. This is the respect that we have to show to our squad. Help them.”
Nottingham Forest have recently welcomed Douglas Luiz, Kalimuendo-Muinga, James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Dan Ndoye, Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus to The Reds.
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