Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo 'identified' as managerial target by Italian giants

Nottingham Forest may reportedly face a battle to retain the services of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Portuguese is currently preparing his team for one of the biggest matches in the club's history with a win over Chelsea on Sunday potentially leading to Champions League qualification.

With Forest having spend a portion of the season in the top three of the Premier League table, Nuno has also been nominated for the division's Manager of the Year award.

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's showdown at the City Ground, Forest will be participating in Europe for the first time in nearly three decades during 2025-26.

As it stands, Nuno is expected to be at the helm, but it appears that he will not be short of offers elsewhere come the summer.

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Which Italian club want Nuno?

According to talkSPORT, Roma are contemplating whether to make an approach for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur boss.

Claudio Ranieri has worked wonders to put Roma into a position where they can still qualify for the Champions League and are guaranteed some kind of European football next season with sixth place the lowest that they can finish in Serie A.

However, the legendary Italian will be stepping away from his role in the dugout and taking on a position behind the scenes, as well as giving his input regarding his successor.

The report says that while there have been no discussions between Roma and Nuno's representatives, they have been left impressed by the job that he is doing at Forest.

Nuno holds a contract at the East Midlands giants until 2026, although it is expected that a renewal with improved terms will be eventually presented to the 51-year-old.

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Will there be any temptation?

At a time when the agent of Jurgen Klopp has come out and dismissed any suggestions of the former Liverpool manager taking the Roma job, it is clear that I Giallorossi are still weighing up their options.

Most candidates for the position will want to see where Roma finish in the Serie A table before signalling their interest in the position.

From Nuno's perspective, it feels highly unlikely that he would take the chance to leave the project that is ongoing at Forest when he has brought European football back to the club.

When Wolves qualified for the Europa League against the odds, Nuno achieved some memorable moments and they could be bettered at Forest next season.

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Written by
Darren Plant