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Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP for a fee of €40 million, roughly £34.3 million. The deal, confirmed on August 11, 2026, brings one of Europe’s most coveted young centre-backs to the City Ground on what is expected to be a multi-year contract stretching four to five years.
Who is Ousmane Diomande?
Diomande is a 22-year-old Ivorian centre-back, born on December 4, 2003, in Abidjan. He stands 1.90 meters tall, which translates to roughly 6’3″ for those of us who think in imperial.
At Sporting CP, he racked up 132 appearances across all competitions, including 87 in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, chipping in with 5 goals along the way.
Internationally, Diomande has earned 16 caps for Ivory Coast. He featured at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where Ivory Coast won the tournament, and he was part of their squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Before any transfer materialized, Diomande had extended his contract with Sporting CP through 2030. Forest still paid €40 million, which tells you everything about how badly they wanted him.
Why Forest, and why now?
The timing of this move is deeply tied to the tactical vision of Oliver Glasner, Forest’s head coach. Glasner has shown a clear preference for a back-three formation, a system that demands centre-backs who are comfortable on the ball, physically dominant in duels, and capable of covering wide areas when the wing-backs push forward.
With a strong defensive lineup already including players like Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, the addition of Diomande is expected to fit well with Glasner’s preferred tactical setup. Forest reportedly faced competition from several major European clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, before securing his signature.
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