Nottingham Forest Secure Ousmane Diomande in £34.3m Deal
Nottingham Forest have made a major play for their future back line, sealing the signing of highly rated Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting on a four-year deal.
The fee is a clear marker of intent. Forest will pay around £34.3m (€40m) for the 22-year-old centre-back after weeks of hard bargaining with the Portuguese club, a negotiation driven from the dugout as much as the boardroom.
Oliver Glasner pushed hard. Having tried to bring Diomande to Crystal Palace during his time at Selhurst Park, the Forest head coach finally has his man, this time at the City Ground and at the heart of his rebuild.
A serial winner arrives
Diomande does not come as a prospect in need of nurturing. He arrives as a defender already hardened by title races and European nights.
Across the last four seasons at Sporting, he played 132 games, scored seven goals and lifted the Primeira Liga trophy twice. Last season he helped the Lisbon side to a domestic double and into the Champions League knockout stages, experience that Forest believe will translate straight into Premier League steel.
His pedigree stretches beyond club football. Diomande was part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the country’s first continental crown in eight years, and he already owns 15 caps. He also featured once at this summer’s World Cup, another step on a rapid international rise.
For a 22-year-old defender, that is a serious body of work.
‘It is a historic club’
Diomande spoke with the conviction of a player who knows exactly what he is walking into.
“I am very happy to be here. It is a historic club, and it motivates me to join such a club,” he said after signing. “I believe we can achieve very good things this season and I am looking forward to meeting the players and head coach.
“I will give my best and all I can to help the team. I cannot wait to meet the supporters at the City Ground and together we can have a good season.”
Forest want that attitude as much as his pace, power and presence. A young defender with medals already in his cabinet, now stepping into a league that will test every part of his game.
Forest’s vision, in one signing
Inside the club, Diomande is seen as the embodiment of the profile they have been chasing this summer.
Chief football officer George Syrianos underlined that point.
“We have been very clear on the profile of player we want to add to the squad, so we are excited to welcome Ousmane to the club,” he said. “He has fantastic experience for a defender of his age. Playing a crucial role in title-winning teams and going into the latter stages of the Champions League puts him in a great position to integrate well here at Forest.
“Ousmane is a powerful, commanding defender, and arrives here with a winning mentality. He shares the same ambition for success we have, and we are excited to see the impact he can have in a Forest shirt.”
The message is blunt: Forest want players who have already lived the pressure of must-win games and expect to win more.
Busy summer at the City Ground
Diomande’s arrival headlines a window that has seen Forest reshape key areas of the squad.
He joins a list of new faces that includes Boyd Fraser from Hearts, Mason Ayre from Glentoran, Blaine McClure from Rangers, and a significant free transfer in Xaver Schlager from RB Leipzig. Grady McDonnell has arrived from Club Brugge, with Kasen Brown joining from Manchester City, both also on free deals.
The outgoing list tells its own story. Elliot Anderson’s eye-catching £116m move to Manchester City stands out as the blockbuster departure, while David Carmo has joined Olympiacos and Joe Gardner has gone to Falkirk, both for undisclosed fees. Cormac Daly has signed for Hearts on a free.
There has also been a clear trimming of the squad. Angus Gunn has moved to San Jose Earthquakes, Ben Hammong to Boston United, Justin Hanks to Solihull Moors and Danny Anisjko to Chesterfield, all on free transfers. Jota Silva has headed to Olympiacos on loan.
Several familiar names have been released: Willy Boly, Stefan Ortega, Shae Cahill and Esapa Osong are all moving on, opening space for a new core to form.
A new defensive leader?
All of this leaves Diomande walking into a dressing room in transition, but with a clear role waiting for him.
Forest are not paying £34.3m for depth. They are paying for a cornerstone. A powerful, front-foot defender with Champions League scars and an Africa Cup of Nations medal, asked to anchor a back line in the most unforgiving league in the world.
The City Ground crowd will not need long to judge whether he is up to it. Diomande, by his own words, cannot wait for that moment.
