Report: Nottingham Forest closing in on £30m signing | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest Push for Ousmane Diomande as Sporting Talks Gather Pace

Nottingham Forest are moving with intent. Their pursuit of Ousmane Diomande has gone beyond vague interest and into the serious part of the market, with advanced talks under way and a bid reported at around £30 million. The Athletic report that Forest are trying to get this done while in Portugal for pre-season, which makes obvious sense. If you are on the ground, you remove noise and shorten timelines.

Diomande is 22, plays for Sporting CP and has long been regarded as one of the better young centre-backs on the continent. That profile alone explains why this is not a bargain-bin move. Sporting know what they have, and the asking price, somewhere between £30 million and £35 million, reflects that.

There is risk, though. Last season was interrupted badly by a muscle injury, and he missed roughly half of Sporting’s games. He still managed 31 appearances in all competitions, with 17 in the league, and the underlying output remained respectable. Six clean sheets, 4.4 ball recoveries per game and 3.5 clearances point to a defender who stays involved and does plenty of recovery work.

Photo: IMAGO

Diomande Transfer Fits Forest Plan

Forest are clearly trying to add quality rather than just numbers. Diomande knows Ibrahim Sangare from the Ivory Coast setup, which helps, and he would bring physicality, upside and resale value. If Oliver Glasner wants a defence that can cope one v one and defend space, this is the type of signing that matches the brief.

Forest are not stopping there. Xaver Schlager is expected to sign on a free after leaving RB Leipzig, while Lucas Bergvall has also been discussed. That tells you plenty. This is a club trying to sharpen the spine of the squad, and doing it early.

Our View

As a Forest fan, this is exactly the kind of update you want in July. Diomande is young, proven at a good level and still has loads of room to grow. Spending around £30 million sounds big, but proper centre-backs cost money. If the club truly believe he can anchor the back line for years, then get it done and stop messing about.

The injury record is the bit that gives you pause, because Forest have had enough of players arriving with question marks and then missing weeks at a time. Still, if the medical team are satisfied, the upside is obvious. He is 22, already used to pressure at Sporting, and he has international experience too. That matters.

What is most encouraging is the ambition behind it. Schlager on a free would add know-how, and Diomande would add ceiling. Put the two together and Forest suddenly look a lot more serious. Supporters do not expect miracles, but they do expect smart recruitment and players with clear purpose. This one ticks those boxes.

If Forest can leave Portugal with Diomande signed, it sends a message. Not noise, not hype, just a proper statement that the club mean business this season.