Vitor Pereira has emerged as a serious contender to take charge of Nottingham Forest following the abrupt dismissal of Sean Dyche in the early hours of Thursday morning. Dyche was sacked just hours after Forest could only manage a 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Managerial Carousel Continues at City Ground
This development means Forest are now searching for their fourth manager of the season, following the earlier departures of Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou. Daily Mail Sport understands that club officials are interested in speaking with Pereira about the position, though several significant hurdles would need to be cleared before any appointment could be finalized.
Pereira's Recent Premier League Experience
Interestingly, Wolves themselves sacked Pereira last November following a dreadful start to their campaign. When the Portuguese manager took charge at Molineux in December 2024, the club appeared destined for relegation to the Championship. However, Pereira initially performed admirably, steering Wolves to what ultimately became a comfortable survival in the top flight.
Daily Mail Sport had previously reported on Wednesday evening that Pereira was in the frame for the Forest position, and this has now been confirmed by multiple sources close to the club.
Immediate Challenges for Any New Manager
Should talks progress positively between Pereira and Forest, the new manager would be expected to make a similar impact at the City Ground. Additionally, he would be tasked with leading Forest deeper into the Europa League competition. The club's next fixture is a challenging away match against Fenerbahce on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League play-off round.
The recent goalless draw with Wolves has left Forest in a precarious position, sitting just three points above the relegation zone. Their next Premier League encounter is scheduled for March 1st with an away trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion.
Dyche's Philosophical Departure
Sean Dyche, who became the third Forest manager to be dismissed this season, appeared resigned to his fate when speaking after the Wolves match. He stated: "If anyone chooses to change in football now, that's their decision. If the owner wants to make a change, then that's up to him, and that's the way football is now, that's just the reality of it."
Dyche continued: "But I'm not questioning the owner here. He's been absolutely fair with me from the beginning to the end, and I've been fair with him and told him the truth every step of the way. That's the way it goes. I'm a realist. I understand, you know, the noise here has changed significantly since the last few games."
The former manager added: "Demand is high. That's changed enormously in probably the last probably two years. Demand is getting higher and higher. Expectation immediately grows. So if people will change it, and the owner wants to change, that is entirely up to him, but there's no lack of respect for me to the owner on how he's been."
Vitor Pereira, who left Wolves in November 2025, now finds himself as one of the leading candidates to take over at a club facing both domestic and European challenges in the coming weeks.
