Whilst the lack of first-team-ready signings may have disappointed Nottingham Forest fans in January, maintaining the services of their top stars was a success that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Forest currently sit in third place in the Premier League as we head into February, a quite remarkable feat for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side that has maintained for long enough to not be regarded as a fluke.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 23 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 56 | 21 | 35 | 56 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 24 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 49 | 22 | 27 | 50 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 27 | 13 | 47 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 24 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 43 |
As a reward for this season’s performance, Evangelos Marinakis has been attempting to secure his top stars for the foreseeable future, with Murillo signing a new Forest deal to stave off interest for the Brazilian defender.
Chris Wood also extended his Forest contract in January as a reward for his 17 Premier League goals this season, signalling Marinakis’ intentions to use the incredible first half of the season as a springboard for future success rather than as a way to cash in on those contributing.
One deal that hasn’t been talked about is the contract of Espirito Santo himself, with a fresh report detailing an update on the Forest manager’s future.
Nottingham Forest move to secure Nuno Espirito Santo’s future
Espirito Santo was appointed Forest coach in December 2023 and has been a hit at the City Ground, first securing Forest’s Premier League status and then pushing on into a European football race this season.
Marinakis is clearly looking to reward this performance, according to a report in the Telegraph detailing the club’s post-January plans.
The report said: “Transfer plans for the summer are already well advanced, and talks over a new contract for Nuno [Espirito Santo] are on the radar.
“He endured a difficult first season but is in contention for manager of the year after this stellar campaign. The Portuguese has just under 18 months left on his deal and Forest are set to instigate talks over improved terms.”
Undoubtedly brilliant news for Forest fans, Espirito Santo has more than earned a new deal at the City Ground, with Marinakis promising a transfer bounty for Espirito Santo if he can secure a European place for next season.
It’s hard to ignore how well the Portuguese coach has done since arriving at Forest, especially when seeing how he has compared with former boss Steve Cooper.
Nuno Espirito Santo has eclipsed much of Steve Cooper’s achievements at Nottingham Forest
Mark Schwarzer predicted Espirito Santo to be the first sacked manager of the Premier League season, which has become a laughable prediction when considering all he has achieved this campaign.
Just this season, Espirito Santo became the first Forest manager to his first two league games against Manchester United, with Steve Cooper’s Forest Premier League points total beaten by Espirito Santo.
Chris Wood has also credited Espirito Santo over Cooper for his upturn in form at the club, which has been one of the key factors in where Forest are in the Premier League table.
It’s also been argued that Forest have a better identity under Espirito Santo in terms of a style of play which was potentially missing under Cooper, again adding to why the club have performed so well this season under the Portuguese manager.
Espirito Santo has certainly done enough to earn a new deal at Forest, with the next steps on whether he can continue this momentum eagerly anticipated.
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