Fulham could turn to former Premier League boss to replace Alvaro Arbeloa

Vitor Pereira targets Premier League return amid Fulham manager pressure Vitor Pereira wants back in. Four months after his Nottingham Forest exit, the former Forest and Wolves boss has made his position plain.

"The Premier League is my focus, and I'm preparing as well as I can to come back, because that's where I want to be." That is the headline, and for clubs weighing up change, it matters. According totalkSPORT, Pereira is being linked with Fulham at a point when pressure is building on Alvaro Arbeloa.

That does not mean anything is imminent, and it certainly does not mean Fulham have made a decision. It does mean Pereira is available, interested, and saying all the right things to owners who want a manager ready to walk in and stabilise a situation quickly.

His recent record in England explains why his name keeps resurfacing. At Nottingham Forest, he lasted only four months after taking over from Sean Dyche in February, but the numbers were hardly disastrous.

He won eight of 20 matches, delivered a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions between March and May, secured Premier League survival and took Forest to a Europa League semi-final. Then Forest moved on anyway, replacing him with Oliver Glasner.

Football is ruthless, and sometimes survival is not enough when hierarchy and direction pull in different ways. Premier League focus remains clear Pereira is not hiding behind vague talk of new challenges abroad.

He said, "It's where I feel challenged and motivated, and I'm waiting for the opportunity to return."

That is direct, and it fits the image of a coach who knows precisely what market he wants.

He also sounds like someone who has used his time out properly. "Being away from football, I got to spend time with my family and recharge," he said.

Then came the more relevant part for any prospective employer.