Nuno Espirito Santo insists he will not quit as Nottingham Forest manager, calling such suggestions "absurd" and "nonsense". However, the Portuguese cannot guarantee he will still be in charge beyond the transfer window deadline on 1 September.
The 51-year-old's future remains uncertain after he revealed how his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had "changed" from being very close last season. Speaking after Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Crystal Palace, Nuno said discussions will take place with Marinakis and global head of football Edu over transfers.
Fan support remains strong
Forest supporters demonstrated unwavering backing for their manager at Selhurst Park, chanting his name as he applauded them at full-time. The fans responded to Palace supporters' taunts about Nuno being sacked by reminding them of Forest's Europa League qualification.
Before the match, supporters expressed hope the situation would be resolved. "It came out the blue on Friday, hopefully it will all get resolved," fans Lynne and Lisa told the BBC.
Transfer disputes fuel uncertainty
Much of Nuno's frustration stems from Forest's summer transfer activity, despite the club spending over £100 million on eight senior players. New signings James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson and Arnaud Kalimuendo all made their debuts, while Dan Ndoye provided an assist for Callum Hudson-Odoi's equaliser.
Nuno maintains the squad still needs reinforcements, particularly a goalkeeper and two full-backs. "If one of our wingers can play full-back, great, but these guys are not full-backs," he said.
Expert predictions and replacement talk
European football expert Julien Laurens believes Nuno faces an impossible situation. "This is a battle that Nuno will lose," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, noting that questioning ownership typically signals the end.
The Nottingham Post reports that Brendan Rodgers remains Forest's top target to replace Nuno, with Marinakis having "sights on Rodgers for months". However, the Celtic manager categorically denied any interest, stating there was "absolutely no chance" of leaving Glasgow.
Sources used: "BBC", "Daily Mail", "Nottingham Post" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
