Nottingham Forest have withdrawn their new contract offer given to manager Steve Cooper in the summer, Abbeylivenetwork.com understands.
Forest has the Nigeria duo Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis in their fold and they went bottom of the Premier League after losing 4-0 at Midlands rivals and fellow strugglers Leicester City on Monday.
Awoniyi, who started the match at the King Power Stadium, missed scoring by a whisker after hitting the foot of the post before the hosts turned on the screw on his team. Dennis was brought on in the last quarter of the game but did nothing to avert the bad situation.
Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been linked with Forest. The Spaniard has been out of work since being sacked by Everton in January and reports had claimed that he is ‘in the frame’ to take the Reds job if it becomes vacant.
According to Spanish Madrid-based media outlet AS (via Sport Witness), Forest have ‘sounded out’ Benitez to possibly replace Cooper. However, the same report suggests that the 62-year-old has ‘let it pass’.
Forest have not officially approached Benitez, who has also managed Newcastle United during his time in England.
Benitez had been linked with the Leicester job over the international break after Brendan Rodgers found himself under intense pressure. City had lost six straight games since the first day of the season, but the Northern Irishman has eased his troubles with the victory over Forest.
