Nuno Espirito Santo Tipped for Sensational Return to Premier League

A number of Premier League clubs have reportedly identified Nuno Espirito Santo as a candidate to be their next manager.

Nottingham Forest sacked Nuno last week amid rumours of tensions between the Portuguese gaffer and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Nuno is also understood to have had a poor working relationship with new global head of football Edu, leading to his dismissal in spite of his returning Forest to European competition by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season.

Crystal Palace's courtroom defeats over the summer saw Forest bumped up to the Europa League but Marinakis, whose apparent involvement in bringing those legal dealings about is surely overstated, dumped Nuno in favour of Ange Postecoglou after just three league matches of the new season.

The manager might not be out of the game for long.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis sacked Nuno (Image: Getty)

Football Insider reports that the former Forest boss has had his name added to the managerial shortlists of a number of Premier League clubs.

"Clubs across the Premier League and Europe have placed Nuno high on the lists of replacements for their own managers, several of whom are already under pressure in the early stages of the campaign," writes Pete O'Rourke.

"Sacked by Forest less than three months after signing a new contract until 2028, Nuno may be in no rush to return to the cut-throat world of Premier League management after taking the Reds to new heights."

The weeks between international breaks in September and October can be a period of introspection for clubs whose season hasn't started in the manner they'd expected.

Nuno was sacked last week (Image: Getty)

If those clubs choose to act swiftly in October, 51-year-old Nuno could be in contention as an ideal successor.

Manchester United and West Ham United are among the clubs that might be tightening up their plans with intent and Nuno is linked with the Hammers job in particular should Graham Potter get his marching orders.

Nuno's Premier League experience

If Nuno lands another Premier League job it will be his fourth in five years.

The former Porto and Valencia boss joined a Jorge Mendes-connected Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017 and led the Black Country club to their best finishes in a generation.

He left Molineux in 2021 for what proved a short tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, later returning from a spell in the Saudi Pro League to take over from Steve Cooper at the City Ground.