Nottingham Forest Sign Ousmane Diomandé for €40m

Nottingham Forest have struck a major defensive statement, reaching an agreement with Sporting Portugal to sign highly rated centre-back Ousmane Diomandé for €40 million, according to transfer specialist David Ornstein of The Athletic.

The 22-year-old is expected to fly to England as early as Saturday for his medical. If everything checks out, the right-footed defender will sign a five-year contract and anchor a rebuilt Forest back line.

From €7.5m Gamble to €40m Payoff

Sporting only brought Diomandé in last year. He arrived in January 2023 from FC Midtjylland for an initial fee reported between €7.5 million and €12.5 million, with the Danish club smartly inserting a 20 per cent sell-on clause.

Sporting moved quickly to protect their asset. At the start of this year they handed the 1.90m defender a new deal running to mid-2030, complete with an €80 million release clause. Now they are cashing out at half that figure, but still walking away with a huge profit.

The Lisbon club’s business this summer has been relentless. Diomandé becomes their latest major sale in a window that has already seen Geovany Quenda join Chelsea for €50 million, Morten Hjulmand head to Atlético Madrid for €40 million and Francisco Trincão move to Al-Ahli, also for €40 million.

On top of that, Alisson Santos’ permanent switch to Napoli brought in another €16.5 million, while Diogo Travassos’ transfer to SC Braga added €5.5 million. Sporting’s balance sheet is glowing.

Forest’s New Defensive Core

For Forest, this is not just a big fee. It is a clear shift in profile and ambition.

Diomandé is expected to slot into a back three alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo dos Santos, giving Forest a tall, aggressive and technically capable central unit. He will not be alone in the dressing room either: he links up with compatriot Ibrahim Sangaré, the former PSV midfielder who already forms part of the club’s spine.

Forest have been busy reshaping that spine all summer. Xaver Schlager has arrived on a free from RB Leipzig to sit in front of the defence, while attacking midfielder Gustavo Sá has joined from FC Famalicão in a €20 million deal. Diomandé’s arrival adds serious height, mobility and resale value to that structure.

A year and a half ago he was a promising project in Denmark. Now he walks into the Premier League as a €40 million centre-back expected to lead a new-look Forest defence. The fee, the contract length, the supporting cast around him — all of it points to one question: can he become the cornerstone of Forest’s next era?