Nottingham Forest

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Some of you have been using our Newcastle Ask Me Anything form to query if there's a sell-on clause for Elliot Anderson, after Manchester City made firm bids for the ex-Newcastle midfielder, now at Nottingham Forest.

As far as I'm aware Newcastle would not stand to benefit financially if Anderson left Nottingham Forest.

The club do not have a buy-back option, either.

Ordinarily these clauses would be negotiated during the sale of promising young players, as sides like Manchester City and Chelsea have over the years.

But Newcastle had no bargaining position whatsoever when they sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest in 2024.

The club were desperately attempting to raise funds to avoid a breach of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and a likely points deduction.

Anderson's subsequent journey to becoming an England starter has been bittersweet for Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe.

Although Anderson has felt the clear benefit of increased game time at Nottingham Forest, Newcastle's backroom staff always believed he was destined for the very top and hoped he could realise his vast potential while playing for his boyhood club.

The midfielder still has huge admirers at all levels at St James' Park, including sporting director Ross Wilson, who helped bring him to Nottingham Forest during his time at the City Ground.

But Anderson appears destined to move elsewhere rather than return to Tyneside.

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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James McAtee battled to be seen in his debut season at the City Ground, struggling for minutes under Nottingham Forest's four managers.

So what does next season look like for the 23-year-old?

There is belief at the City Ground it is only a matter of time before it comes together for McAtee, despite his struggles.

He remains part of Vitor Pereira's plans for next season and one source believes he will "explode", such is his natural talent.

To much excitement from supporters, McAtee arrived on a five-year deal worth about £30m weeks after the under-21s' Euro 2025 triumph.

It is a character trait that he has remained focused. Despite limited game time McAtee has earned credit for not shirking the challenge and displaying humility.

Around the training ground he has been described as polite and has been noted for his work ethic, willingness to improve and the way he treats players, staff and others equally.

McAtee's game intelligence is also valued and he is seen as a player who can find the solutions on the pitch before others.

There is a sense he is still developing and, with a good pre-season, there is an expectation he will be able to fight for a place.

The onus will be placed on McAtee to establish himself, but Pereira's fluid style of play also suits him.

Read more about McAtee's future here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Harry: Elijah Just from New Zealand after his double against Iran could turn Forest around with Igor Jesus turning into a winger. Also Ruben Vargas from Switzerland replacing Elliot Anderson if he goes to Manchester City this summer could be a good thing in the build-up for next season.

Emma: I think that Vozinha could be a key reserve keeper for Forest. I think that he has gone under the radar for ages and after his performance against Spain, he has really showed the world that he has a high standard of goalkeeping.

Nick: Considering the dodgy decision to let Stefan Ortega go, Vozinha has demonstrated against Spain that he's more than capable and, being in the Portuguese second tier, he could be comfortable playing second or third fiddle.

Lakin: Yoane Wissa just showed his quality. We tried to get him before, this time - make a proper effort.

Wilf: This is an easy one - Folarin Balogun. Striker is one of the big positions to fill this summer. Balogun drifts wide, runs behind or drops deep, he'd perfectly complement Vitor Pereira's fluid style and attack-minded midfielders. And of course importantly, he nets plenty of goals. I'll even carry his bags to the ground.

It is just under two months until the next Premier League season starts and there is plenty on the Nottingham Forest agenda before a ball gets kicked.

Vitor Pereira's future is still up in the air as the Portuguese boss enters the final year of his contract and key player Elliot Anderson is attracting interest from Manchester City, who had a bid of £120m rejected by the club.

There is clearly plenty to discuss, so our football reporter Nick Mashiter will be on hand to answer your questions later this week.

Put your thinking cap on - what do you want to know about Forest right now?

Get in touch with your question here

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BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray believes there is no cause for concern after contract talks between boss Vitor Pereira and Nottingham Forest were put on hold.

Pereira, who won eight of his 20 games in charge last season, has one-year left on his current contract.

"I am obviously not privy to the contract talks themselves," said Fray. "But from the information I have got, both parties are happy for the current situation to go on.

"As I understand it, these talks ending are not a suggestion that either Forest are unhappy with Vitor Pereira and looking to change again, or Vitor Pereira is unhappy. I don't think either is the case.

"There has been that little bit of interest in Pereira from Al Hilal, but he's not interested in that and has turned that down because he wants to stay at Forest. He's happy at Forest and he can see a future at Forest.

"It's hard to say exactly why they have come to this decision but it does seem both parties are happy with him going into next season on his current contract, which still has a year left to run."

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Nottingham Forest have endured - and enjoyed - some thrilling seasons since returning to the Premier League.

From survival to nearly qualifying for the Champions League to another battle against relegation, it has been an adventure.

Few would be forgiven for wanting a quiet season, one of anonymity almost, following the rollercoasters of the last few years.

Given last season's four managers and brush with relegation a comfortable mid-table season would perhaps be a useful and a chance for a the club to take a breath - although that will not be enough for owner Evangelos Marinakis.

• See Forest's full fixture list

Talks over Vitor Pereira's contract have been put on hold but both sides are relaxed and the expectation is they will resume towards the end of the year.

There should not be any speculation surrounding his position come the visit of Leeds on the opening game of the season on 22 August.

But, of course, if wins do not follow in games against Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Coventry - before the extended international break in September and October - then it would naturally leave questions over his position - because of the nature of the departures over the past 12 months.

Last season started with a comfortable victory over Brentford but Forest then did not win in the league against until 9 November.

A good start is vital for Pereira himself and Forest overall.

David Jackson and Colin Fray discuss the World Cup, Vitor Pereira's future and the 2026-27 fixtures in the latest episode of BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up and Show More Football podcast.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Nottingham Forest content on BBC Sounds

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Nottingham Forest will play Leeds United on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.

Last season, both sides won their respective home games 3-1.

The Whites have only faced Nottingham Forest in their opening league game of the season once before; they won 1-0 in 1991-92 under Howard Wilkinson, winning the top-flight title that campaign.

However, Nottingham Forest in the top flight are unbeaten in 14 against the Whites at the City Ground (W7 D7) since losing 2-0 in 1971-72.

• Read more on the matches and rule changes for 2026-27

Nottingham Forest will kick off their 2026-27 Premier League campaign - a first full season under Vitor Pereira - with a home game against Leeds United.

The match will take place on Saturday, 22 August at 15:00 BST, with Forest's first away fixture against Liverpool on the weekend of 29-30 August.

Pereira's side face Manchester United (A), Newcastle United (A), Fulham (H) and Hull City (H) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And they end their league season against Coventry City at Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

See Forest's Premier League fixtures in full here

Image source, Getty Images

With the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games - both good and bad - that have stuck in your minds most. And you delivered.

Here are some of your replies:

Mark: My memory is from 17 August 1996. It was Coventry City 0-3 Nottingham Forest, thanks to a Kevin Campbell hat-trick. The season looked so bright, but it was one of just six Premier League wins that season. We ended up bottom of the table.

Dave: I remember going to watch Forest play at the old Highfield Road for my 13th birthday with my old man. The Reds smashed Coventry 3-0 on a beautiful sunny day. It was the first of many road trips to come.

Arthur: Southend away in 1993 - the first away match of the new season when we were relegated. The match was on a Sunday, thousands of Forest fans went down the night before, however there wasn't enough hotels rooms so we ended up sleeping in the car. The night out in Southend was brilliant - every pub and nightclub was full of Forest fans. There were so many that the police had to draft in reinforcements. The game was completely sold out and Teddy Sheringham was actually sitting with the Forest fans during the game. A cracking weekend away. Great memories.

Gary: Losing at Coventry 2-1 on the opening day of the 2021-22 season. They scored the winning goal in the 96th minute. Here we go again, we all thought - same old, same old. But we went on to win the Championship play-off final. Dreamland.

Jack: The very best opening-day memory was Everton away on 20 August 1977. Every pundit had written us off before the season had even started. Wasn't it Bob Wilson with the "flash in the pan" remark? And, oh dear, we had the temerity to finish as champions and then win the European Cup - twice, in case anyone's forgotten.

Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how the Reds' 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.

Tottenham have opened talks over a deal for Germany Under-21 forward Said El Mala from Cologne and hope to beat Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to the 19-year-old's signature. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Elliot Anderson continues to go from strength to strength and has cemented his place in England's midfield.

The Nottingham Forest midfielder as again integral as the Three Lions wrestled the lead back in Wednesday's World Cup win over Croatia.

Take a look at Anderson's first-time pass that swept Jude Bellingham in for England's third.

Leeds United and Nottingham Forest are in the race for 26-year-old Belgium striker Lois Openda from Juventus. (Teamtalk), external

Everton are exploring the possibility of signing Openda on a loan-to-buy deal. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The World Cup may be less than a week old but the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday.

And to get in the mood as Nottingham Forest prepare for a first full season under Vitor Pereira, we want your stories of opening-day games that have stuck in your minds most - both the good and the bad.

Get in touch with your memories here

And make sure to come back to this page on Friday to see how the Reds' league fixture list has fallen.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Pereira's contract talks with Nottingham Forest have been put on hold.

Both parties remain committed to the future and there is the intention of restarting discussions next season.

Pereira has one-year left on his current City Ground contract and would prefer to stay, despite interest from Al-Hilal. He did not engage with the Saudi Pro League side and wants to carry on in the Premier League with Forest.

A deal had been progressing and the club remain interested in renewing Pereira's contract, while the 57-year-old is keen on an agreement after he guided the Reds to top-flight safety.

But it has been decided now is not the right time to continue talks, although the risks in pausing any talks are recognised should Forest have a poor start to next season.

Pereira replaced Sean Dyche in February to become Forest's fourth manager of the season and they ended the campaign in 16th, five points above the bottom three.

They reached the Europa League semi-finals - making the last four in a European competition for the first time since 1982 - but lost to eventual winners Aston Villa,

Pereira won eight of his 20 games in charge, losing just six.

He was sacked by Wolves in November after 11 months at Molineux and has previously managed Olympiacos, where he worked with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Chris Wood and Elijah Just performed some double act on Monday, linking up not once but twice to drive New Zealand to a point in their World Cup opener against Japan.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on who you would like Nottingham Forest to keep, loan and sell from the squad this summer.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: Keep Jair Cunha - a real prospect in defence, especially in a back three with Murillo and Milenkovic. Loan James McAtee - he needs guaranteed game time to regain his confidence. Perhaps he could join one of the newly promoted clubs or a top Championship team, or maybe abroad. Sell Dan Ndoye as he hasn't shown progress over the season but is suited to European leagues and will probably have an excellent World Cup.

Paul: I'd keep Bakwa, who after a tough first season has shown glimpses of his potential. James McAtee needs a loan spell to get regular first-team football, and I'd sell Morato as we have younger and more reliable central defenders.

Michael: I'd keep Ndoye. Though he's not necessarily been on the fringes, he hasn't seemed to make his mark properly yet and I think he's hugely talented and could be a real asset for us moving into his second full season with a more stable structure at the helm. Of course have to keep Awoniyi too, for everything he has done for the club since his arrival as our most expensive signing of that first Premier League transfer window. I would loan out Cuiabano to give him some more experience, ideally over in France or Germany, as he's unlikely to break into the first XI this season with Murillo signing the extension and the Serbinator keeping it solid at the back. I'm not confident in John Victor, and having released Gunn and Ortega, this would mean we could go for a younger keeper with some experience to back up Sels this season and perhaps take the gloves for the future from there.

David: Jair Cunha has lots of potential and must stay. Opportunities will come next season and he will establish himself in the team. Loan out James McAtee as he needs to regain confidence. Sell Dan Ndoye as he has made very little impact.

Paul T: Keep - James McAtee - he is close to the finished product. Loan out - Kalimuendo - still not ready for the Premier League. Sell - Bakwa/ Morato - too slow or not suitable for the Premier League.

Giles: Regrettably but inevitably, sell Anderson, wish him the best and reinvest sensibly on two or three quality folk; keep McAtee or Hutchinson and loan out the other for more minutes and game maturity.

Sean: We should keep Kalimuendo, he showed with us and with Frankfurt that he's got a bit of pace and some goalscoring ability, but I also think he'd benefit from our two-striker system. Loan out Zach Abbott. He's got a bright future for us but he needs minutes on the pitch regularly now. Sell Hudson-Odoi. Controversial I know but as good as he has been for us, he does get injured regularly, and with competition from Bakwa and Hutchinson for his position, I'd rather give those two a chance.

Jesse: I think sell Anderson, loan out Cunha and keep Gibbs-White. Anderson wants to go and £120m+ is a huge amount of money. Cunha needs time to develop and Forest have strength in the central defence. Gibbs-White has been the driving force of Forest's attack this season and I think he's irreplaceable. If they sell Anderson, they are already getting enough money.

Change is inevitable at football clubs during the summer months and we want to ask you something specific about Nottingham Forest's squad.

Tell us:

• One player who has been on the fringes who should be kept and why?

• One player who should be loaned out

• One player who should be sold

We would love names and reasons for all three - get in touch with your views using this form.

Nick Mashiter and Shamoon Hafez
Football reporters

Image source, Getty Images

Four years since helping Bristol Rovers win promotion from League Two, Elliot Anderson faces what could be a defining summer.

Anderson is expected to be one of England's key players at the World Cup, and his stellar performances for Nottingham Forest have led to such significant transfer interest that he is likely to become the most expensive British footballer ever.

The 23-year-old has quickly become a key man for national team boss Thomas Tuchel - winning eight caps this season, just three years after being called up by Scotland.

He is expected to start alongside Declan Rice in the heart of midfield when they begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on 17 June (kick-off 21:00 BST).

As he prepares for that, his club future remains uncertain. Forest have already turned down a significant bid from Manchester City for Anderson, as owner Evangelos Marinakis holds out for a reported £110m.

He scored a superb equaliser to salvage an unlikely point at Etihad Stadium in March, and the Blues have long admired the player. They firmed up their interest last week with an opening bid and sources say they are expected to make another.

Anderson tops the club's list of midfield targets following the departure of captain Bernardo Silva, and such has been his rise that they will not be swayed from paying a fee that could become a record for a British player.

Anderson's eye-catching performances earned him a team of the season spot in BBC Sport's first end-of-season football awards - and his statistics make for incredible reading.

Among all top-flight players, Anderson managed to:

• Have the most touches of the ball (3,300).

• Win the most duels (297).

• Win the most fouls (80).

• Win possession the most times overall (306) as well as in the middle third (154) and defensive third of the pitch (127).

Among central midfielders, he also made the most line-breaking passes (376), completed the most overall passes (2,038) and made the most dribbles (95).

He became the first player since Declan Rice in 2019-20 to win possession more than 300 times in a Premier League season. Out of possession he worked hard too, his 1,895 high-intensity pressures were the most applied by a central midfielder.

So, to some, his success is no surprise.

Read the full article here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Stefan Ortega heads the departure list at Nottingham Forest.

The goalkeeper joined Forest from Manchester City in February and made 10 appearances, seven in the club's run to the Europa League semi-finals.

John Victor is expected to be fit for the start of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in January, with Matz Sels Forest's No.1.

Defender Willy Boly and goalkeeper Angus Gunn will also leave the club at the end of their contracts this month.

Striker Lorenzo Lucca, signed on loan from Napoli in January, is returning to the Serie A club having scored once in nine appearances.

"Everyone at Nottingham Forest thanks Willy, Angus, Stefan and Lorenzo for their contributions while on Trentside, wishing them the very best for their next steps," read a club statement.