Jose Mourinho linked with shock return to England as tensions mount behind the scenes at Premier League club

Mourinho, currently steering Turkish giants Fenerbahce, is being touted as a surprise name in the mix if Evangelos Marinakis decides to swing the axe. The Portuguese coach, a serial winner with 26 major trophies across Europe, has long been linked with a dramatic return to English football, and Forest could be the club to hand him that chance, as reported by The Sun. 

Ex-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is high on the list, despite his mixed spell in north London. Spurs lifted the Europa League under his guidance but collapsed in the Premier League, finishing in a disastrous 17th place.

While Forest attempted to cool the speculation by denying that Nuno was about to be sacked, the manager himself only added fuel to the fire and it emerged his relationship with the newly-appointed global head of football, Edu, is behind the rift. Facing the press, he admitted: "There is no smoke without fire - I know how things work. It's not good. I always had a very good relationship with the owner. This season, not so well - our relations have changed.

"The reality is that it’s not what it used to be. It used to be a good, respectful relationship, based more on trust and sharing opinions, and now it's not so good. My job is to manage the team, prepare them well and try to get them to the next level. The club has different opinions, but I'm someone who says my opinions. We’ve all been in the industry for a while now. And where there's smoke, there's fire. I understand, because I'm worried. I'm the first one to be worried. I'm the first one to be concerned."

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers is also on the shortlist. He led the Glasgow side to yet another Scottish Premiership crown and has valuable Premier League experience from his stints with Liverpool and Leicester City. Sources suggest Rodgers’ tactical nous and proven record in rebuilding teams have made him a serious contender should the role become vacant.

Despite the whispers, Nuno remains in charge and is set to lead Forest against Crystal Palace on Sunday in what is set to be a fierce contest following the latter's Europa League demotion, which Forest benefitted from. Yet his own words suggest there is huge uncertainty behind the scenes.