Former Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has held talks with Nottingham Forest about replacing Steve Cooper as manager of the Premier League strugglers, according to reports on Tuesday.

Cooper has been under fire throughout a dismal run of just one win in 13 league games which has seen Forest slump to one place above the relegation zone.

Forest officials have reportedly spoken to Portuguese coach Nuno as they look to end Cooper's reign at the City Ground.

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November.

Now the 49-year-old is in line for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month spell at Tottenham.

He also had four years in charge of Wolves, guiding the club to promotion from the Championship in his first season in charge.

Wolves enjoyed consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League and a run to the Europa League quarter-finals under Nuno's leadership.

Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner had also been linked with the Forest job before Nuno emerged as their top target.

Cooper had retained the support of Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

But with Cooper's summer of heavy investment in new signings failing to deliver the required results, it seems Forest's Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis has lost patience.

With Forest five points above the bottom three, reports suggest a deal for Nuno could be tied up before Saturday's crucial home match against Bournemouth.