According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest will sign Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande for €40 million.
The deal is in its final stages, and if all goes according to plan, Diomande is expected to fly to England on Saturday evening for a medical, followed by signing a proposed five-year contract with Nottingham Forest. Previously, sources in Portugal reported that the deal had fallen through, but a new development has now emerged.
The Athletic reported on July 22 that Nottingham Forest was in advanced talks with Sporting CP for Diomande. This summer, Diomande attracted interest from several European clubs.
The 22-year-old centre-back represented Côte d'Ivoire in the World Cup this summer, playing alongside Nottingham Forest midfielder Sangaré. Since joining Sporting CP from Danish club FC Midtjylland in January 2023, Diomande has made 132 appearances for the club. He has also earned 16 caps for the Côte d'Ivoire national team.
Nottingham Forest has already signed midfielder Schlager on a free transfer from RB Leipzig, and new head coach Glasner has begun building his squad at the City Ground. Sangaré and centre-back Murillo have also extended their contracts this summer until 2029 and 2030, respectively.
Will Diomande complete Glasner's three-centre-back defensive setup?
Nottingham Forest beat reporter Paul Taylor analyzes:
Signing Diomande not only demonstrates Nottingham Forest's ambition but could also complete a crucial piece of Glasner's defensive puzzle.
When coaching Crystal Palace, Glasner employed a three-centre-back system that he viewed as having perfectly complementary characteristics.
Guehi's defensive awareness is excellent, but his aerial duelling isn't the strongest; Chris Richards has strong aerial ability, but his lateral mobility is limited; Lacroix is tall and can also play out from the back.
Nottingham Forest believes Diomande can complement the attributes of Murillo and Milenkovic. In recent years, Murillo and Milenkovic have formed an impressive partnership at centre-back, and Diomande's arrival is expected to replicate a similar setup at the City Ground.
Milenkovic is a leader and dominant defender with strong aerial ability, but pace is not his strength. Similarly, Murillo's heading ability is not his most prominent feature, but he possesses pace and explosiveness, can play out from the back, carry the ball forward, and has solid defensive capabilities.
Diomande will bring the height and physicality Glasner believes the team needs, which will help Nottingham Forest improve their set-piece performance both offensively and defensively. At the same time, he is comfortable on the ball and capable of playing out from the back.
Nottingham Forest previously believed they were close to signing Diomande during their training camp in Portugal. While finalizing the final details of the deal has taken longer than expected, this feels like a pivotal moment in the early stages of Glasner's tenure.
The Austrian coach now has the conditions to implement his preferred three-centre-back system. In the past two seasons, he won the FA Cup, Community Shield, and Europa Conference League with Crystal Palace using this system.
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