Vitor Pereira has made it clear that Nottingham Forest will fight to retain Elliot Anderson following the midfielder's impressive performance in their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United. The 23-year-old England international provided assists for both Forest goals, scored by Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White, creating a tense finish at Old Trafford.
Bryan Mbeumo's 76th-minute strike ultimately decided the match, but Anderson's display has only heightened interest from top clubs. Manchester United are reportedly considering a summer move, while Manchester City have also been linked. Forest are said to have set a price tag between £100 million and £120 million for the talented midfielder.
When asked if he feared losing Anderson, Pereira stated: 'I don't have the answers. The market is the market and everything can happen. What I can say is that the club wants to keep him playing for us, for sure. The club wants to keep almost all the players because this is a very good group with quality and character.'
Pereira praised Anderson's potential, saying: 'He has the talent to be one of the top, top of the top. Every time he can score more goals, he can take a little bit more risk in the last third because he has a very good shot.' However, he noted that Forest's system limits Anderson's freedom, as they play with two midfielders who must maintain positional discipline.
The manager also commended Gibbs-White, who scored despite wearing a protective mask after a head injury. 'Morgan, even with the problem of the mask, has a lot of quality and he scored a beautiful goal,' Pereira said.
Reflecting on the match, Pereira described it as a 'crazy game' with an open second half. He expressed frustration over a controversial decision to allow Matheus Cunha's goal, which he believed involved a handball. 'For me, it was a handball. Very clear but they decided not to cancel the goal and it was the decision that decided the game,' he added.
