Nottingham Forest ‘fear Steve Cooper could leave’ as giants eye coach

Premier League clubs spend record £815m in January transfer window

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Numerous Premier League clubs are reportedly monitoring Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper ahead of the start of next season. There are several teams expected to be in need of a new manager over the summer, and the progress of the former Swansea coach is catching the eye.

Forest have made a solid start to life back in the English top flight. They currently sit in 13th place in the table and are four points above the relegation zone. Cooper struggled in the opening stages of the campaign due to his side’s major spending spree over the summer that provided him with a squad made up of largely new signings.

However, the 43-year-old now appears to have got to grips with his ranks and is building on his reputation as one of the country’s brightest managerial talents. Regardless, Forest are still one of the favourites to be relegated back to the Championship, and they could be forced to rebuild without Cooper if that is their fate.

According to the Daily Mail, Forest are set to ‘face a fight’ to retain the services of Cooper as several clubs have ‘identified’ him as a potential target for the summer. It is expected that several sides will part ways with their current managers at the end of the season, and two of those clubs are already said to be banking on securing the services of Cooper.

Southampton and Leeds have both recently appointed new bosses, though there is uncertainty surrounding both selections and whether they are capable of leading the respective clubs to safety. David Moyes is also feeling the heat at West Ham, with pressure mounting on the shoulders of Graham Potter at Chelsea with every passing week.

Tottenham are also considering how they will tackle next season given that Antonio Conte is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to agree on a new contract. Reports have speculated that the north London club hold an interest in Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, which would consequently see them in the managerial market as well.

Forest may believe that they will be able to keep Cooper content at the City Ground if they are able to secure a midtable finish with the promise of more spending power. But his side will need to improve markedly upon their performance against West Ham over the weekend if that is to be the case.

The Hammers scored four goals in the final 20 minutes of the match to secure a 4-0 win. Speaking after the match, Cooper said: “It’s really disappointing, I know West Ham had a lot of set pieces, but we never felt in great danger of conceding. Then we go 1-0 down to a disappointing goal, but what happened between the first and the third goal was difficult to comprehend and unacceptable.

“The game got taken away from us and we can blame no one but ourselves. For sure we have to get back to the training ground and have a grown-up conversation with the players about what went on.”

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