Nottingham Forest closing in on Oliver Glasner

Nottingham Forest are set to appoint former Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner as their new head coach following the departure of Vitor Pereira. 

The Austrian is understood to be close to finalising a deal with the Premier League club, with only the remaining formalities left before his appointment is officially confirmed. 

Glasner, who left Crystal Palace at the end of last season, has been on Forest’s radar since earlier this summer.

Forest confirmed Pereira’s exit on Thursday, bringing an end to his four-and-a-half-month spell at the City Ground. 

His coaching staff also departed the club as Forest thanked them for their professionalism and commitment during their time in Nottingham. 

Pereira was reportedly informed of the decision earlier in the week after the club activated a break clause in his contract, despite the Portuguese coach having one year remaining on his deal.

In a farewell statement, Pereira admitted he was surprised by the decision but insisted he harboured no resentment towards the club. 

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss said he was proud of the progress made during his tenure, highlighting Forest’s successful fight against relegation, their run to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, and the growing confidence shown by the squad. 

He also expressed hope that the club would continue to achieve success in the future.

Pereira had already begun preparations for the new campaign, including transfer planning and organising the club’s pre-season schedule, which features friendlies against Blackburn Rovers, Vitória Guimarães, Sporting CP, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, and Udinese. 

Contract talks had been paused last month but were expected to resume later in the year, making his departure an unexpected development.

Despite the short duration of his reign, Pereira guided Forest to Premier League safety and oversaw one of the club’s most memorable European campaigns in decades. 

The team reached the Europa League semi-finals for the first time since 1984 before eventually losing to Aston Villa, while also recording their biggest top-flight away victory since 1995 with a 5-0 win over Sunderland. 

His exit means Forest will appoint a fifth permanent manager in less than a year following previous changes involving Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Sean Dyche.

Glasner arrives with an impressive reputation after leading Crystal Palace to the FA Cup in 2025 and the UEFA Europa Conference League title the following season.