Blow for Nottingham Forest as multiple Premier League rivals ramp up interest in Steve Cooper
Nottingham Forest will have to battle to keep manager Steve Cooper next season, with the coach attracting the interest of several Premier League rivals, according to reports.
The 43-year-old has gained a reputation as one of England’s most exciting young coaches, doing a fine job at the City Ground as Forest aim to remain in the Premier League.
A number of managerial vacancies are set to become available at the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see if any make a concrete approach for Cooper in the coming months.
Indeed, the English coach has done an admirable job with the Tricky Trees so far, so it’s unsurprising to see speculation surrounding his future.
Last season, Cooper guided the club back to the Premier League after a 29-year absence. Now, so far, Forest look like they have an excellent chance of avoiding relegation.
After their opening 24 league matches, they have won six and drawn seven and are currently four points clear of the drop zone, despite enduring a difficult start.
Cooper completely rebuilt their squad, too, bringing in a record-breaking 30 new additions since the beginning of the campaign.
Multiple PL clubs could push for Cooper this summer
According to a report by the Mail, Cooper’s relatively successful start to life in the Premier League has attracted the interest of multiple top-flight rivals.
They note that there is currently doubt over the head coach’s position at Tottenham, Chelsea, West Ham, Southampton and Leeds, while Brighton may also be forced to look for a new manager given the growing interest in Roberto de Zerbi.
Cooper found himself under a lot of pressure at the beginning of the current campaign as his new signings struggled to gel with their teammates, but now, they have completely turned their form around.
Forest’s performances have been particularly impressive at the City Ground, where they are unbeaten since September, taking points off the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in the process.
As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of the aforementioned clubs try and prise Cooper away from the East Midlands club, but they will face a challenge.
Cooper recently signed a contract extension at Forest, keeping him at the club until 2025. With that in mind, any potential suitors would have to pay a substantial compensation fee to get a deal over the line.
Forest are by no means out of the relegation battle yet, though, so if they do drop back down to the Championship, it seems likely that the English manager would try and stay in the Premier League.
The Tricky Trees are set to face fellow relegation strugglers Everton, Wolves and Leeds in the coming weeks, so those matches could be huge in the context of the season.
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