Nottingham Forest near €40m deal for Ousmane Diomandé
Nottingham Forest are on the brink of landing one of Europe’s most coveted young centre-backs, with Sporting Portugal and the Premier League club agreeing a €40 million deal for Ousmane Diomandé, according to transfer specialist David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The move is significant on several fronts. For Forest, it is a statement of intent. For Sporting, it is another ruthless piece of business in a summer defined by big sales.
From €7.5m punt to €40m powerhouse
Diomandé, 22, is expected to travel to England as early as Saturday to undergo his medical. If all goes to plan, the right-footed defender will sign a five-year contract and anchor a Forest back line that has been crying out for both presence and poise.
At 1.90 metres, he offers exactly that. Strong in the air, quick across the ground, and comfortable stepping into midfield, he has developed rapidly since arriving in Lisbon in January 2023 from FC Midtjylland. Sporting paid between €7.5 million and €12.5 million for him at the time, with the Danish club smartly inserting a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
That clause now pays off handsomely. Midtjylland stand to collect a sizeable slice of this transfer, while Sporting still walk away with a huge profit.
The timing underlines just how quickly Diomandé’s stock has risen. At the start of this year, Sporting tied him down to a new contract through to mid-2030 and armed it with an €80 million release clause. Six months on, they are accepting half that figure, yet still more than quintupling their initial outlay.
Forest’s new defensive core
For Forest, this is not a luxury signing. It is the centrepiece of a defensive rebuild.
Diomandé is expected to slot into a back three alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo dos Santos, giving Forest a blend of height, aggression and ball-playing ability. He will also find a familiar face in the dressing room: compatriot Ibrahim Sangaré, the former PSV midfielder who already gives the side a powerful spine.
Forest have moved early and decisively in this window. Xaver Schlager arrived on a free transfer from RB Leipzig to shield the defence, while attacking midfielder Gustavo Sá joined from FC Famalicão for €20 million to add creativity higher up the pitch. Diomandé’s arrival would complete a clear strategic spine: stopper, sitter, creator.
This is not scattergun recruitment. It is targeted, expensive, and clearly geared towards stabilising the club in the Premier League and pushing the ceiling higher.
Sporting’s summer of sales
On the other side of the deal, Sporting’s transfer machine rolls on at full speed.
Diomandé’s sale is their fourth major windfall of the summer. Geovany Quenda has already gone to Chelsea for €50 million, Morten Hjulmand to Atlético Madrid for €40 million, and Francisco Trincão to Al-Ahli for another €40 million.
The numbers are staggering. And they do not stop there.
Alisson Santos’ permanent move to Napoli has brought in €16.5 million, while Diogo Travassos’ switch to SC Braga added another €5.5 million to the coffers. Layer Diomandé’s €40 million on top and Sporting’s outgoing business this summer reads like the balance sheet of a club fully committed to trading at the top end of the market.
They lose a key defender, yes, but they bank a fortune and stay true to a model that keeps them competitive at home and relevant in Europe.
A defining move for Forest?
Everything now rests on the medical and the final signatures. If there are no late twists, Nottingham Forest will soon unveil a 22-year-old centre-back who has gone from Midtjylland prospect to €40 million Premier League signing in the space of 18 months.
Sporting have already shown what they can do with that kind of profit.
The real question now is what Forest can build around the man they are about to make the cornerstone of their defence.
