Vitor Pereira personally wants Nottingham Forest to sign the 'exciting' Wolves star

Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira personally wants the club to sign the highly-rated Wolves star, according to reports.

Pereira in line for new Nottingham Forest deal despite talks from Marco Silva

There have been changes at the City Ground.

When Pereira walked through the door in mid-February, Forest were in real danger – sitting in 17th place, three points above relegation, and in their fourth manager of the season.

Three months later, the picture looks very different. Forest are clear of the bottom three with safety assured, and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League before falling to Aston Villa.

By any fair measure, Pereira delivered.

Now, it seems that Hlathi is ready to reward him.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the club intend to offer the 57-year-old a new long-term contract. His current deal runs until June 2027, but talks are set for an extension, and management and players are said to be happy with the work he has done.

It is a significant show of faith from owner Evangelos Marinakis, who was linked with a move for Fulham's Marco Silva as recently as this week.

With his position strengthened, Pereira is turning to the summer transfer window, and one target carries a personal dimension.

Vitor Pereira wants Wolves star Mateus Mane from Nottingham Forest

According to SportsBoom, Forest are monitoring Wolves striker Mateus Mane, with Pereira himself driving the interest.

The 18-year-old has been one of the few achievers in a disastrous season at Molineux, making 35 appearances and scoring six goals in all competitions – including becoming Wolves' youngest Premier League goalscorer when he netted in a 3-0 win over West Ham in January.

The connection between manager and player runs deep.

Pereira was in charge of Wolves when Mane signed his first professional contract, having signed the youngster to his senior club in the summer of 2025.

Sources close to Forest have told SportsBoom that Pereira was always confident that Mane would develop into one of the most exciting talents in English football, and his performances this season – for a team that finished bottom of the table and were relegated with five games to go – has reinforced that belief.

The fall of wolves means a fire sale is coming.

Rob Edwards, who replaced Pereira at Molineux, will be tasked with rebuilding the Championship's budget, while Mane is expected to be one of a number of players to be bankrolled to fund the reset.

Liverpool and Manchester United are both respected and could be considered favorites if they formalize their interest, given the financial muscle and prestige they can offer.

But Forest believe they have a card to play that no rival can match: guaranteed game time.

At 18, Mane needs regular minutes to continue to develop, and a move to Anfield or Old Trafford will not provide such a guarantee. Forest, under a manager who knows Mane intimately and trusts his ability, could give him a key role in the first team from day one. That speech may prove persuasive.

No fee has been publicly discussed, but Wolves are unlikely to let one of their most valuable young assets go cheaply, even from the Championship.

The talks won't be straightforward, but with Pereira now seemingly set to stay and build, the terms of a deal are better than they could have been last week.