Nottingham Forest have quashed talk that they are planning to replace Martin O’Neill with Portuguese coach Ivo Vieira.
The Moreirense manager is believed to have been on the club’s radar in the past, prior to O’Neill’s appointment - and Vieira is expected to leave his current role in the summer.
But the Championship club are planning to start the new campaign with O’Neill and Roy Keane in charge, with O’Neill having only been at the helm for 19 games.
And a club spokesman has denied any suggestion that they hope to appoint Vieira.
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Forest missed out on the top six finished they craved, but they did finish the season with a flourish, as they secured three consecutive wins for the first time since December 2016, by beating Middlesbrough, QPR and Bolton.
And O’Neill’s target, following his appointment in January, was always to win promotion before the end of his contract, which runs until the end of next season.
Vieira, 43, has guided Moreirense into fifth position in the Primeira Liga, and the club are on course to achieve their record points tally in the top flight.
The coach was relegated with Estoril last season, but has boosted his reputation with the work he has done and media reports in Portugal suggest that he is ready to take on a fresh challenge this summer - and have again linked him with the Reds.
But the Post is told that Forest are currently unlikely to be the club that offers the former Nacional, Maritimo, Aves and Academica coach that opportunity.
