Steve Cooper ‘is close to signing a new contract with Nottingham Forest’ with the Premier League newcomers ‘keen to reward their manager with improved terms’ for their staggering turnaround and promotion
- Steve Cooper masterminded Nottingham Forest’s Premier League promotion
- The manager is now set to be handed a new, improved contract, reports claim
- He has now flown out to Athens to hold talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis
- Cooper took his side from the bottom of the Championship to the play-off final
Steve Cooper is reportedly close to signing a new contract with Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest, with the club preparing for their top-flight return.
Manager Cooper has flown out to Athens to hold talks with ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis over his side’s transfer plans, according to The Telegraph.
It is said talks will ‘advance’ over handing the 42-year-old a long-term, improved deal.
Steve Cooper is close to signing a new, improved deal with Nottingham Forest, reports claim
Against the odds, Cooper steered Forest from the bottom of the Championship and into the play-off places, where they gained promotion after beating Huddersfield.
He has around a year left on his existing contract, but the club are now thought to have begun efforts to reward him for his success in the shape of better terms.
The Telegraph also say that Cooper is relishing the prospect of taking the team into a new era and is determined to help them continue their remarkable progress.
Boss Cooper led Forest from the bottom of the Championship and into the Premier League
Speaking after their play-off final win, Cooper opened up on his feeling of pride.
‘The players deserve the opportunity to be in the Premier League and there’s no doubt we deserved to get promoted,’ he said.
‘I’m really proud of the football club and we’ve reminded the world how big and how special this club is.
‘We’ve been desperate for something like this and over the past eight or nine months we’ve built a really strong connection with the supporters.’
An own goal secured the club’s return to the top-flight, and Cooper is set to be backed heavily
Marinakis, meanwhile, vowed to hand Cooper a sizeable transfer war chest to spend.
‘Now is the time to give Steve all the ammunition he needs, to be able to not only survive but bring some good results,’ he told The Telegraph.
‘We have to invest more. Everybody talks about the television rights and money that comes in, but it is not enough for clubs in the first year.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has already held talks this summer over the team’s transfer plans
‘That’s why we must not be the poorer relatives of the Premier League.
‘We need to buy some good players and some that will make the difference and have the experience who know the division.
‘We need to be careful how we spend and make the right choices.’