Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira personally wants the club to sign the Wolves star, who he rates very highly, according to reports.
Pereira heads for new contract at Nottingham Forest despite Marco Silva talks
There has been quite a turnaround at the City Ground.
Forest were in real crisis when Pereira took over as manager in mid-February – they were three points above the table in 17th place, and it was his fourth time as manager this season.
After 3 months, the photo will look dramatically different. Forest were cleared to move out of the bottom three and advance to the Europa League semi-finals, but were eliminated by Aston Villa.
By any reasonable measure, Pereira has delivered.
Now Forest appear ready to reward him.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the club intends to sign the 57-year-old to a new long-term contract. His current contract runs until June 2027, but extension talks are planned and both management and players are said to be satisfied with the job he has done.
This is a sign of confidence from owner Evangelos Marinakis, who until recently was rumored to have been involved in Fulham’s bid to sign Marco Silva.
Aston Villa take under-the-radar approach to sign Nottingham Forest’s ‘quality’ star
Tricky Trees took action in response.
As his position strengthens, Pereira has turned his attention to the summer transfer window, and one target in particular has a personal dimension.
Vitor Pereira wants Wolves star Matheus Mane to join Nottingham Forest
According to SportsBoom, Forest manager is keeping tabs on Wolves forward Matheus Mane, with Pereira himself also increasing interest.
The 18-year-old was one of the few positive performances in a disastrous season at Molineux, scoring six goals in 35 appearances in all competitions. That includes the player who became Wolves’ youngest ever Premier League scorer when he found the back of the net in January’s 3-0 win over West Ham.
The bond between the coach and the players is deep.
Pereira was manager of Wolves when Mane signed his first professional contract, drafting the teenager into the first team in the summer of 2025.
Sources close to Forest have told Sportboom that Pereira has always believed Mane would develop into one of the most exciting young players in English football, and his performances this season, with the team finishing bottom of the table and relegated with five games remaining, have only strengthened that belief.
The collapse of the Wolves means the arrival of a fire sale.
Rob Edwards, who replaced Pereira at Molineux, will be given a rebuilding job in the Championship budget, with Mane expected to be one of several players brought in to finance the reset.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United are fans and given the financial power and prestige they can offer, they would be seen as favorites if they formally expressed interest.
But Forest believe they have a card that no rival can match: guaranteed game time.
At 18, Mane needs regular appearances to continue his development and a move to Anfield or Old Trafford would not provide that guarantee. With a manager who knows Mane well and believes in his abilities, Forest could offer Mane a central role in the first team from day one. This pitch may be persuasive.
Compensation has not been publicly discussed, but the Wolves are unlikely to let one of their most valuable young assets go cheap, even from a championship.
Negotiations will not be easy, but Pereira now appears intent on staying and developing, and the terms of his contract are better than they were a week ago.
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