Nottingham Forest are contemplating hiring a head coach who is respected by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
The Reds ended their season with a 2-1 victory over Burnley Sunday, ensuring their Premier League status.
Despite completing his aim of keeping Forest in the top division, Nuno Espirito Santo’s future at the City Ground remains uncertain.
Earlier today, Fabrizio Romano said that Espirito Santo was not assured to continue at Forest next season, despite conversations taking place.
Evangelos Marinakis is now considering a head coach who has received acclaim from four-time Premier League champion Guardiola.
Nottingham Forest want Roberto de Zerbi
It’s fair to say that this revelation, while not shocking, would come as a huge shock if Forest could pull it off.
According to Italian football journalist Paolo Bargiggia, Forest are eager to explore the possibility of selecting the Italian as a successor for Espirito Santo.
The Reds are not alone, as Marseille and AC Milan have De Zerbi at the top of their management wishlist.
De Zerbi confirmed his departure from Brighton just before the club’s final-day defeat to Manchester United.
Brighton have significantly improved under the 44-year-old, and they competed in the Europa League last season, reaching the final 16.
Guardiola had praised De Zerbi earlier this season, so his departure came as a surprise.
De Zerbi managed 89 games at the AMEX Stadium, winning 38 and losing 29.
Appointing a talented leader would be a game changer.
It’s not surprising that a link has developed between De Zerbi and Forest, but it would be surprising if a deal could be reached.
The value of such a famous coach is incredibly considerable, and he already has bigger teams casting adoring looks.
De Zerbi has piqued the interest of fans with his appealing style of play, although the Seagulls’ consistency suffered during the 2023/24 season due to the European campaign.
The head coach normally prefers a 4-2-3-1 style but employs an intense high press when his team is not in control of the ball.
That industrious, desire-driven style of play would certainly be warmly received at Forest, but supporters should not get carried away with De Zerbi just yet.
