Ousmane Diomande ‘to join’ Nottingham Forest in €40m move | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest are set to sign Ousmane Diomande, 22, as Oliver Glasner reshapes his defence. The Athletic reports the Sporting CP centre-back is set to join for €40m, about £34.3m, $46.2m.

Physical, combative and decisive, the Ivory Coast international relishes duels and ranked among the top for tackle success in last season’s Primeira Liga. Quick and composed in possession, he has operated in both a back four and a back three, and Glasner had tracked him at Crystal Palace.

Glasner says ethos matters more than shape, though his internal briefings point to a back three. In the 3-0 win over Blackburn in Portugal, Jair Cunha, Milenkovic and Morato began, then Abbott, Bindon and Richards came on, with Murillo present but unused.

Glasner told reporters the priority is organised pressure that wins the ball to create chances, and that defensive habits require consistency. Abbott added that rotations often turn a back three into a four, with the aim to dominate possession then press after losses.

Diomande has 149 senior appearances and 16 caps, has twice won the title with Sporting, and was in Ivory Coast’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad. He would likely play right of a trio alongside Milenkovic and Murillo, with Morato, Jair, Abbott and Bindon in reserve.

Source: NY Times

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