Nottingham Forest Close in on Ousmane Diomande Deal
Nottingham Forest have dragged the Ousmane Diomande deal back from the brink – and in doing so, may have quietly closed one of the more intriguing doors for Liverpool this summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Forest are “moving to final stages” in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon over a €40m (£34.2m) agreement for the 22-year-old centre-back, with confidence high on all sides that the move will be completed after weeks of stalling.
For a fee under £35m, the numbers always made sense. The surprise was that Forest, having done the groundwork, seemed ready to walk away. Now they’re back at the table and pushing hard, and unless something dramatic happens, Diomande will be heading for the City Ground rather than Anfield.
Forest close in, Liverpool look elsewhere
When the first round of talks between Forest and Sporting appeared to collapse, there was a brief moment when Liverpool’s name drifted into the conversation. A young, athletic, ball-playing defender at a relatively modest price? On paper, it ticked a lot of boxes for a squad that has creaked alarmingly at the back.
Instead, Liverpool’s attention has circled back towards Ronald Araujo, whose situation at Barcelona has made a season-long loan a realistic option. With the club juggling a tight budget, a drawn-out pursuit of Bradley Barcola, and glaring needs at both right-back and centre-back, the appeal of a short-term, low-cost solution is obvious.
It also says plenty about how this window has been handled. The need for defensive reinforcements has been obvious for months. The scramble now feels avoidable.
Diomande vs Araujo: the numbers tell a story
Diomande brings youth, upside and strong passing metrics. His 2025/26 Primeira Liga numbers underline that: 68.77 successful passes per 90 at a 93.1% completion rate, plus 0.21 chances created. On the ball, he is tidy, progressive, and comfortable stepping into midfield.
The questions come when he has to defend his box.
His duels win percentage sits at 48.6%, with 57.4% of aerial duels won and 0.35 times dribbled past per 90. Those are not disastrous figures, but they are not dominant either, especially for a centre-back expected to anchor a high-pressure Premier League back line.
Araujo’s profile is different. Less expansive in possession – 65.4 successful passes per 90 at a 92% completion rate – but far more imposing without the ball. In La Liga last season, he won 63% of his duels, 67.2% of his aerial contests, and was dribbled past just 0.08 times per 90. That is the statistical footprint of a defender who relishes contact, wins his battles, and protects his area with authority.
Crucially, he has been doing it in a stronger league, under the scrutiny and tactical demands that come with playing for Barcelona. For a manager like Andoni Iraola, who wants to trust his back line from the first whistle of the first game, that matters.
A pragmatic play from Liverpool
Liverpool’s window has not inspired universal confidence. The delay in landing a new right-back and centre-back has left the squad exposed, and the Barcola saga has only added to the sense of drift.
Yet if the club secure Araujo on a season-long loan with no obligation to buy, it would represent a shrewd piece of damage limitation. One player who can cover both right-back and centre-back, proven at the highest level, arriving for a fee that barely dents the budget – aside from his wages – is the kind of pragmatic move that can stabilise a season.
Diomande, at €40m, is a long-term bet. Araujo, on loan, is an immediate fix.
Forest are gambling on potential. Liverpool, if they get this over the line, are gambling on certainty.
And in a season where the margin for error at the back already looks thin, that choice may define how far each club can truly go.
