Nottingham Forest: Vitor Pereira agrees to replace Sean Dyche as new head coach at the City Ground

Vitor Pereira has agreed to become the next Nottingham Forest head coach.

Sky Sports News understands final details around the deal are still being sorted, but it is almost certain the former Wolves boss will take over at the City Ground.

Pereira, who will become Forest's fourth head coach of the season, will replace Sean Dyche after he was sacked during the early hours of Thursday morning, having been in charge for just 114 days.

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The Portuguese head coach kept Wolves up last season after being appointed in December 2024 but was sacked following a poor start to this campaign. Wolves have been contacted as part of the protocol.

News of Dyche's exit came around three hours after Forest's goalless draw with the Premier League's bottom club Wolves. Dyche left Forest three points above the relegation zone with 12 games of the season remaining.

Forest now have a seven-day break before their next game - a Europa League play-off with Fenerbahce next Thursday.

The club were keen to move quickly to find a replacement for Dyche ahead of next Thursday's crucial Europa League knockout play-off first leg away to Fenerbahce. Forest also face tough games in the league against Liverpool, Brighton and Man City.

Pereira was previously employed by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Olympiakos. He won the league and cup double with the Greek side in 2015.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is understood to be frustrated with the club's inability to make the most of the attacking talent available at the club, as well as its inability to move away from the relegation places.

Marinakis turning to someone he knows in Pereira

Sky Sports News' Anton Toloui:

Sitting just three points from demotion, Forest are now turning to someone they know.

Vitor Pereira used to manage Marinakis' other club, Olympiakos, leading them to a league and cup double in 2015.

This time last year he was the toast of the league after taking Wolves from just nine points in sixteen matches to survival with games to spare.

Forest will be hoping for something similar.

They clearly aren't put off by Periera's start to this season in the West Midlands, only picking up two points from a possible thirty before his sacking.

Forest will be the 14th club of his managerial career and he's only stayed beyond two years at one of them. You hire Periera for a good time, not a long time.

Analysis: Attacking woes behind Dyche dismissal

Sky Sports News' Anton Toloui:

Sean Dyche was brought into Nottingham Forest to not just guarantee their Premier League survival but push them back up the table.

It's why he was only given a contract until the end of next season. His objectives were short-term and, after failing to score against a soon-to-be-relegated Wolves, his sacking was inevitable.

Frustrations have been growing in the corridors of power at the club.

A three-game run against strugglers Crystal Palace, Leeds and Wolves should have given Dyche vital breathing room. Instead, he earned only two points and his side continues to tread water above the drop zone.

Forest spent £180m in the summer and brought in players in January too. Most of that was spent on attackers, yet Forest have only scored 25 goals in 26 league games this season.

How can a club with such talented players as Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson continue to struggle?

It's something the new head coach will have to figure out ahead of a huge trip to Turkey next week to take on Fenerbahce in the Europa League before Liverpool in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest's upcoming fixtures

• Fenerbahce (A) - Europa League knockout play-off first leg - Thursday February 19; kick-off 5.45pm
• Liverpool (H) - Premier League - Sunday February 22, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 2pm
• Fenerbahce (H) - Europa League knockout play-off second leg - Thursday February 26; kick-off 8pm
• Brighton (A) - Premier League - Sunday March 1, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 2pm
• Man City (A) - Premier League - Wednesday March 4; kick-off 7.30pm
• Fulham (H) - Premier League - Saturday March 14; kick-off 3pm

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Nottingham Forest: Vitor Pereira agrees to replace Sean Dyche as new head coach at the City Ground