‘Nottingham Forest to eye Marco Silva after Nuno Espirito Santo exit’
Evangelos Marinakis has been tipped to target Fulham’s Marco Silva should Nuno Espirito Santo leave Nottingham Forest this summer.
It has been an incredible campaign for the Reds this season, but after the manager clashed with the Forest owner following the 2-2 draw against Leicester City, his future has been thrown into uncertainty.
Mick Brown told Football Insider that Espirito Santo will have been left humiliated by the bust-up with Marinakis, with pundits tipping the 51-year-old to hand in his resignation at the City Ground.
Despite the disappointing draw, a convincing win over West Ham keeps the Reds in contention for Champions League qualification, but that has not stopped rumours circulating around the manager’s future.
Now, Daily Mail journalist Tom Collomosse has indicated Marinakis’ relationship with Silva, who has shone since joining the Cottagers in 2021, could hand him a simple replacement should this be Espirito Santo’s final season.
Evangelos Marinakis keeps strong relationship with Fulham boss
Answering a question about Espirito Santo’s future on the Daily Mail (21 May), Collomosse wrote: “Impossible to say at this stage, though the interest from the Saudi Pro League is real and, historically, Nuno does not do long stints at clubs – his four years at Wolves were an exception in that respect.
“It’s also worth noting that Nuno has only a year left on his contract and is in a strong negotiating position for a new one, having brought Forest European football for the first time this century.
“If Nuno were to leave, keep an eye on Marco Silva. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has admired the Fulham boss since they worked together at Olympiacos, and they retain a strong relationship.”
| Manager | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
| Nuno Espirito Santo | 69 | 31 | 14 | 24 | 44.9 |
| Marco Silva | 183 | 84 | 35 | 64 | 45.9 |
Nuno Espirito Santo must continue at Nottingham Forest next term
Football Insider verdict
Football Insider understands that Fulham’s alarm bells are ringing over Silva’s future at Craven Cottage already, having been heavily linked with replacing Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.
Despite this, the Reds must try absolutely everything to keep Espirito Santo at the club ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, which, according to Mick Brown, is what Marinakis is doing.
With a final game remaining against Chelsea, and Champions League qualification coming down to the final day, it could hardly be any more dramatic at the City Ground on Sunday, 25 May.
Even without the elite European competition to battle in next season, the current campaign has just shown what the Reds are capable of under Espirito Santo, and he can continue to buck his own trend at the Forest.
While the Portuguese figure has rarely stayed at one club for much longer than one season, there is a real bond between the manager and the fans, and it would be extremely disappointing to see that broken so quickly.