Nottingham Forest sack Nuno Espirito Santo after transfer row and power shift

Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the club confirmed early Tuesday, ending a tumultuous spell that had been marked by public criticism of the club's transfer policy and reported tensions following the appointment of Edu Gaspar as global head of football.

Forest issued an 80-word statement shortly after midnight UK time citing "recent circumstances" for the decision. The departure comes three games into the Premier League season and follows a 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United before the international break.

The split is understood to have its roots in a widening rift over recruitment and the club's revamped football structure. Edu, who left Arsenal as sporting director in November 2024, was appointed Forest's global head of football on July 7 — 17 days after the club gave Nuno a new three-year contract. Club sources reported that Nuno viewed Edu's appointment as placing another director above him and that the two men clashed over transfer targets and recruitment strategy.

Those disagreements surfaced publicly when Nuno criticised the club's transfer policy on the eve of the season. According to people close to the situation, certain signings were recommended by Edu rather than individually requested by Nuno. Omari Hutchinson, Forest's club-record signing at £37.5 million, and Douglas Luiz are cited as examples of recruits linked to Edu's recommendations. Hutchinson was left out of Forest's Europa League squad last week, while Luiz has not yet featured.

Other transfer matters reportedly raised questions. Forest signed Cuiabano from Botafogo on deadline day alongside two other players from the same club, only for Cuiabano to return to Brazil on loan three days later. Nuno had pushed for the signing of Adama Traoré, a player he coached at Wolves, and had sought experienced cover at full back and in goal. The club questioned whether pursuing Traoré from Fulham would be appropriate, and it was unclear whether the player would have been willing to move.

People inside the club also noted a mismatch between Nuno's preferred squad structure and the scale of recruitment. Nuno, 51, has typically preferred a smaller core of clearly defined starters and back-ups; club officials say he became uneasy as Forest sought to provide two players for many positions to cope with domestic and European demands.

Despite the breakdown, Nuno presided over one of Forest's most successful seasons in decades in 2024-25. He transformed a team that had looked vulnerable into one that spent much of the campaign on course for Champions League qualification and reached the FA Cup semi-finals. His methods, including efforts to strengthen team cohesion at the training ground, were widely credited with that turnaround.

Forest's ownership, led by Evangelos Marinakis, has larger ambitions that include sustained European qualification and increased silverware. The club spent in excess of £200 million on new players in the most recent transfer window, figures that club officials noted outstripped some of Europe's traditional elite. There were, however, lingering doubts within the club about whether Nuno's tactical approach — often favouring defence and counterattack — could be adapted to a team being built to control possession and compete at a higher level.

Reports indicate that Forest began to harbour concerns about Nuno's management as early as spring 2024, when his side were embroiled in a final-day survival battle. After a late-season draw with Wolves, club leaders discussed whether to make a change before ultimately retaining him. Players were discreetly asked for their views on his methods, an indication of unease at the time.

With the managerial post vacant, Forest are believed to be pursuing a swift appointment. Ange Postecoglou, who left Tottenham Hotspur in the close season, is among the names linked to the role. Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, has been highly regarded by owner Marinakis, and Oliver Glasner — who was among the final two candidates when Steve Cooper was dismissed in December 2023 — is also under consideration. Club officials reportedly want a decision made before Forest's weekend trip to Arsenal, a fixture that would come against one of Postecoglou’s former sides.

Edu's role and his relationship with the next head coach will come under close scrutiny. At Arsenal, Edu was credited with providing a bridge between recruitment, the coaching staff and ownership; Forest have indicated they expect a similarly functioning structure across their wider group of clubs, which includes teams in Greece and Portugal. The extent to which Edu will operate day-to-day at the training ground has been described as still taking shape.

Nuno had maintained a presence at the club in the days before his dismissal, including a visit with staff to a Nottingham restaurant to celebrate the arrival of Joao Lapa to his coaching team. He had anticipated a meeting with Marinakis during the international break to discuss the club's direction, but those talks did not take place.

Forest now face the immediate task of appointing an interim or permanent successor while preparing for upcoming fixtures and integrating a large new squad assembled over the summer. How the next manager navigates the club's recruitment structure and his working relationship with Edu will be key to whether Forest can consolidate last season's progress and pursue the ambitions set by the ownership.