Big things are expected of Nottingham Forest in the Championship next season, but not if manager Aitor Karanka leaves the City Ground.
Twenty years since Nottingham Forest were relegated from the Premier League, the optimism around the City Ground is at its highest in two decades.
Forest might have finished 17th in the Championship last season and have not even reached the play-off places since 2010/11 but it seems the former European cup winners are on their way back to the big time.
With super-agent Jorge Mendes helping them out in the transfer market just a few months after he inspired Wolves’ return to the top flight, Forest have aced the summer window so far.
They have smashed their transfer record to sign the £13 million Benfica starlet Joao Carvalho, who has been joined at the City Ground by fellow Portuguese players Gil Dias and Diogo Goncalves.
Meanwhile, deals to bring back Michael Dawson and Costel Pantilimon have gone down very well indeed while Lewis Grabban, who is reportedly close to joining for £5 million, is the proven Championship goal-scorer they missed badly last season.
But reports emerging from Spain on Wednesday threaten to put a dampener on all the excitement. El Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Aitor Karanka has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as manager of Spain after their World Cup round of 16 exit.
Karanka is leading an exciting project at Forest and, having won promotion with Middlesbrough in 2016, he clearly knows what it takes to escape the second tier. But you could forgive him for being tempted by the prospect of leading his country and managing some of the most talented footballers in the world game.
Should their figurehead leave, all the optimism that is building up around Forest will suffer a massive hit.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
