Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest future in doubt as owner rift widens

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged on Friday that his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis has deteriorated, plunging his future into uncertainty as the club prepares for talks this week and the transfer window edges towards its close. The Portuguese coach made the comments ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, and sources say discussions between Nuno, Marinakis and the club’s newly appointed global head of football, Edu, are planned to try to resolve the dispute.

Nuno told reporters that he and the owner had been "very close" last season but that "this season it is not so well" and that their relationship was "not good." He later denied suggestions he was attempting to engineer an exit, calling such claims "nonsense" and insisting he wants to remain in charge. Club statements and insiders have offered conflicting accounts since the comments. The club publicly suggested there was no immediate intention to sack the manager, while several sources said senior figures had begun evaluating potential successors and that owner-led meetings had taken place.

The strain appears to centre partly on recruitment and the role of Edu, who...