Elliot Anderson and Pereira's transfer warning

Elliot Anderson left Old Trafford with two assists, a 9 rating and another round of transfer noise. Nottingham Forest lost 3-2 to Manchester United, but Vitor Pereira made sure the post-match conversation was not just about the result. He said the club wants to keep Anderson, even if the market can move.

Why Pereira sounded so firm

Pereira's praise was blunt. "He has the talent to be one of the top, top of the top," he said, adding that the club wants to keep him playing for Forest "for sure". He also said Anderson can decide a game by "assisting, shooting or finding someone free".

That is the part clubs chasing him will care about. Anderson did not just have a lively afternoon, he was central to Forest's best work. He assisted both goals, through Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White, and his performance earned the kind of rating that tends to travel fast around recruitment departments.

Forest's reported valuation makes the picture even less subtle. The brief says the club set a price tag of £100-120 million for Anderson, which is a serious number for a player Pereira is publicly pushing to keep. He also said Forest have a very good base for next season, which is as close as you get to a manager trying to steady the market before it starts talking.

Anderson's wider numbers help explain why this is not a one-off reaction to one good night. He has 4 Premier League assists this season and a 7.35 rating across the league campaign, with 37 top-flight appearances behind him. This is already a player producing at a level that makes elite interest easy to understand.

What Old Trafford told us about the chase

The match itself gave Forest a strong case to make about Anderson's value. He was handed a 9 rating and directly created both goals, while Bryan Mbeumo's 76th-minute strike proved decisive for United.

Pereira's point was not that Anderson is finished as a Forest player. It was that the club knows exactly what it has. The manager's comments were part compliment, part warning to anyone hoping a summer bid will look simple.

There is still the market, and Pereira admitted as much. But he also made the club's position plain, and after a display like this it is hard to argue they are being unrealistic. Forest want to keep Anderson, and after Old Trafford they have a decent argument for trying.