Oliver Glasner among candidates as Nottingham Forest plot shock Vitor Pereira exit after survival
Vitor Pereira’s position as Nottingham Forest head coach remains uncertain, despite the Portuguese having secured the club’s Premier League survival with two games to spare and guided them to the semi-finals of the Europa League less than two months ago.
Pereira, appointed on a short-term 18-month deal in February after taking over from Sean Dyche, has a year remaining on that contract. Talks over a new deal were anticipated this summer, but those discussions have been paused until the new season gets under way. Both Pereira and the club have expressed commitment to an extension, but sources indicate the timing is not yet right, with negotiations expected to resume after the 2026-27 campaign has begun.
Pereira’s future in limbo
The 57-year-old, who has now coached 14 clubs across eight different countries, is understood to be attracting interest from elsewhere. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have been linked with a “mega offer” for Pereira, who has previously managed in the kingdom with Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab. Reports suggest Al-Hilal have given up on signing Simone Inzaghi, turning their attention to Forest’s manager. Other clubs are also said to have admired his work at the City Ground.
Pereira’s appointment by owner Evangelos Marinakis — with whom he enjoyed a successful spell at Olympiacos — made him Forest’s fourth permanent manager of a turbulent 2025-26 season. He succeeded Sean Dyche, who himself had followed Ange Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo through the revolving door. Pereira will be mindful of how quickly fortunes can change in management: he signed a new three-year contract at Wolves in September 2025, only to be sacked two months later after an appalling start that left the club bottom of the league.
Glasner waiting in the wings
Should Pereira depart, former Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is likely to be among the leading candidates to replace him. The Austrian is currently without a job after leaving Selhurst Park at the end of last season. He was a strong contender for the Forest role in December 2023 when Steve Cooper was dismissed, but on that occasion the club chose to hire Nuno Espirito Santo.
Glasner is said to enjoy a good relationship with Forest’s global technical director, George Syrianos, who is believed to have recommended Glasner two and a half years ago when Nuno was given the nod. Syrianos, who oversees recruitment for Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave, is leading the club’s summer 2026 strategy.
Glasner was also high on AC Milan’s list to replace Massimiliano Allegri at the end of last season, but the clubs could not reach an agreement. Reports from Italy indicate Milan have since gone “silent” on the potential appointment, instead focusing on other targets. The Austrian has been coy about his next move, stating he will announce it when the time is right and that “everything has to be perfect”. Fulham have also been monitoring his situation.
Palace rivalry adds spice
Any move by Glasner to Nottingham Forest would be unlikely to go down well with Crystal Palace supporters, given the ill-feeling that has developed between the two clubs in recent years. The animosity stems from a decision taken by UEFA in July 2025, which saw Forest effectively leapfrog Palace into a European spot.
The controversy centred on American businessman John Textor, who at the time held significant influence over both Palace and French club Lyon. UEFA ruled that because Textor’s ownership structure meant both clubs could not compete in the same European competition, despite Palace having won the FA Cup and earned a place in the Europa League, the Eagles were demoted to the Conference League. Lyon were allowed to enter the Europa League, and the vacancy opened by Palace’s demotion benefited Nottingham Forest, who took the place.
The decision — made using UEFA’s “integrity of the competition” rules — left a bitter taste at Selhurst Park. Textor has since sold his stake in Palace to Woody Johnson, but the memory of being moved aside remains fresh. Should Glasner, who managed Palace last season, now take charge at the City Ground, it would add a further layer of tension to what is already a fixture with little love lost between the two sets of fans.
Forest’s own European qualification was achieved under Nuno Espirito Santo, who led them to a seventh-place finish in the 2024-25 season — their first return to continental football in 30 years. Nuno was sacked in September 2025 and later appointed head coach of West Ham United. Steve Cooper, who had guided Forest back to the Premier League after a 23-year absence, was dismissed a day before Nuno’s arrival in December 2023, following a run of one win in 13 games that left the club 17th.
