Forest Must Pay Huge Release Clause For Top Ange Postecoglou Replacement

Nottingham Forest must pay a huge release clause if they are to land their reported top target to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou was sacked minutes after Forest lost 3-0 to Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Forest failed to win any of their eight matches during the Australian's tenure, drawing two of them and losing the other six.

Though the Europa League side put in an encouraging display in the first half, goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James consigned them to another defeat.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis has now sacked two managers already this season after Nuno Espirito Santo's departure in September, and will now again have to make a fresh appointment.

Sean Dyche, Roberto Mancini and Luciano Spalletti have all been linked with the role in the past 24 hours - though Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the latter has zero interest in taking over at the City Ground.

According to The Guardian, Fulham manager Marco Silva is also on Forest's shortlist and has been named as their top target.

The 48-year-old has done an impressive - and perhaps under-appreciated - job in west London, solidifying Fulham as a stable Premier League side using a recruitment model that has tended to prioritise players with English top flight experience.

However, it is reported that, despite his contract situation, any interested club would have pay an £8 million release clause before they could appoint Silva as their new manager.

Forest have never paid compensation for another manager during Marinakis' reign, with the club solely targeting coaches who have been out of work.

But Di Marzio claims that Forest are this time willing to pay Silva's release clause, with the club also said to be open to giving the Portuguese a wage rise from his Fulham contract and promising a significant January transfer budget as they look to recover from a torrid start to the campaign.

The Reds currently sit in the Premier League relegation zone in 18th place, having picked up just one win and five points from their opening nine matches.