Nottingham Forest are interested in appointing Steve Cooper as Chris Hughton's successor at the City Ground.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that the former Swansea City boss is Dane Murphy's number one target to replace the 62-year-old as the new Nottingham Forest manager, with the Reds CEO believing that the 41-year-old perfectly fits the new-look philosophy at the Championship club.

Further reports have also revealed the former Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder, is keen on taking over from Hughton at Forest, however, it would appear that Cooper is the Reds' preferred choice.

Cooper could transform Forest

With Dane Murphy looking to dramatically lower the average age of the Nottingham Forest squad - something that is evident from the CEO's transfer business this summer, with the club's 10 signings boasting an average age of just 23.6 - as well being keen to develop a number of the club's academy talents, Cooper would indeed appear to be the perfect choice for Forest.

Having previously managed in the Liverpool academy setup, as well as guiding England's U17 side to World Cup glory, Cooper boasts an impressive history of working with talented youngsters - aiding their development while also achieving short-term success.

This is something the 41-year-old took into his role at Swansea, twice guiding the Welsh side to the Championship play-offs with the sixth-youngest side in the second tier of English football.

As such, with Forest not only in need of a manager who is capable of developing young players, but also one who can achieve immediate results on the pitch, Cooper would very much appear to be the perfect fit for the Championship strugglers, as it is clear the Welshman is a coach who knows how to get a team winning on a consistent basis in the league - something which would not only transform the Garibaldi in the short-term but the long-term too.

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