Ange Postecoglou was second choice? 'Prominent' name rejected Nottingham Forest after Nuno Espirito Santo sacking

Earlier this week, Forest sacked manager Santo despite leading them to the European football last season. Former Tottenham boss Postecoglou will replace him in the City Ground dugout but reports from Spain suggest the Tricky Trees had their eye on another manager.

According to Estadio Deportivo, Forest approached Rayo Vallecano manager Inigo Perez, who was a 'prominent name' in their list of targets. However, the 37-year-old wanted to 'remain loyal' to the Spanish side and as a result, Forest reportedly moved quickly to recruit Postecoglou instead.

Santo's Forest exit reportedly stemmed from a worsening relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis and an argument with the club's global head of football, Edu. Incidentally, Perez has won 22 games, drawn 19, and lost 20 of his 61 matches in charge of Vallecano.

Postecoglou, who was sacked by Tottenham at the end of last season despite leading them to Europa League glory, will hope his new Forest side can start his tenure with a bang when they travel to Arsenal on Saturday as the Premier League returns.