Nottingham Forest are heading into an important summer transfer window under head coach Vitor Pereira
Nottingham Forest have already made a statement of intent as they head into an important summer transfer window, according to head coach Vitor Pereira.
The Portuguese is keen to keep the core of his squad together for next term as the Reds aim to avoid being in a relegation scrap again. And he believes star defender Murillo putting pen to paper on a new deal shows the club mean business.
In the build-up to Sunday’s season finale with Bournemouth, which finished 1-1, the Brazilian centre-back agreed fresh terms to keep him at the City Ground until 2030. Pereira hopes it is a case of Forest starting as they mean to go on as they try to retain most of their prized assets.
“This is a signal from the club that we want to build something strong and want to keep the best players. This is a message,” Pereira said of Murillo’s new contract.
He added: “I believe we have a good squad and have good players. We need to keep most of them and just add competition here and there in this position and that position.
“Let’s prepare ourselves to be ready from the beginning. If not, you start losing before you start the season.”
Pereira is keen for the Reds to get most of their transfer business done early as they target two or three new additions. He knows from experience how a tough summer can then have a knock-on effect when the action begins – something Forest also found 12 months ago.
Elliot Anderson is expected to be a man in demand, with Manchester City and Manchester United among the clubs circling. Morgan Gibbs-White, too, may well have suitors after coming close to joining Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
“For me, they are top players and they deserve the top of the world,” Pereira said of the duo. “But I believe, if as a club we want to compete for different goals, we need to keep the best players.
“If not, if you change every season, it is difficult to be consistent and difficult to build something stronger. We cannot control the market, of course, but I think we are aligned; what I think and what the club thinks is to try to keep most of them and to try to control the market.
“I feel proud of my players. When I hear that a lot of clubs speak about Morgan and Elliot, it means we did good work as a team and individually. We did good work together.”
After a tumultuous year in which Pereira became the Reds’ fourth head coach of the campaign when he was appointed in February, the hope is for a period of calmness. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss kept the club up with two games to spare and also led them to the semi-finals of the Europa League, and he believes strong foundations have been laid.
“I think we need stability. In my opinion, now we have created the true spirit. We have friendship and we feel confidence in each other; they believe in the staff and we believe in the players,” Pereira said.
