According to Pedro Morata, Wolves and Nottingham Forest have both attempted to bring Marcelino to the Premier League.
Wolves & Nottingham Forest rejected
Unfortunately for the English duo, they saw their respective moves for the Spaniard rebuffed – for one reason.
Morata believes Marcelino is keen to take the reins from Luis Enrique on the international scene, as the Spain boss sees his contract expire after the World Cup.
Speaking to Directo Gol, the Spanish journalist said: “As far as I have absolutely confirmed, Marcelino has turned down the possibility of coaching Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
“Jorge Mendes phoned Marcelino’s people for Wolverhampton. All three clubs were told no by Marcelino. I think Marcelino is waiting in case Enrique does not continue in the Spanish national team as coach of Spain. He wants to be Spain coach.”
Marcelino has been out of work since leaving Athletic Bilbao in June, where he became a fan favourite after beating Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the Supercopa de España.
The 57-year-old’s efforts at Valencia also saw him named La Liga Best Coach in 2018, after he guided them to the Copa del Rey with a win over Barcelona.
Wolves have better chance to hire Marcelino than Nottingham Forest
As Morata mentions, Marcelino is a Mendes client, with the agent holding strong contacts at Molineux.
Therefore, if Enrique signals a desire to stay with the Spanish national team, it could force Marcelino to explore other options.
Of course, Enrique would have to make his intentions known soon, as Wolves surely aren’t going to wait until after the World Cup to appoint a replacement for Bruno Lage.
Nottingham Forest have also just handed Steve Cooper a new contract, suggesting they plan to stick with him for now, although if more defeats follow Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Wolves, that new deal could be terminated.
Be sure to keep an eye on Marcelino, as a top coach like him surely won’t be unemployed for much longer.
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