Ousmane Diomande
Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Ivory Coast international Ousmane Diomande from Portuguese champions Sporting for a reported £34 million.
The 22-year-old centre-back has signed a four-year contract with Forest, with the club holding an option to extend the deal for another season.
Diomande expressed his excitement at joining the Premier League side, describing Forest as a historic club and saying he is determined to help the team achieve success this season.
The defender is expected to fit into new head coach Oliver Glasner’s preferred 3-5-2 system, potentially forming a back three alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo.
Diomande arrives with considerable experience despite his young age. He has earned 15 caps for Ivory Coast and was included in the country’s 2026 World Cup squad, featuring in their group-stage victory over Curaçao.
The defender began his career with Olympic Sport Abobo in Ivory Coast before moving to Denmark, where he played for FC Midtjylland. He joined Sporting in January 2023 and went on to make 132 appearances for the Lisbon club.
During his time in Portugal, Diomande helped Sporting win back-to-back league titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He was also part of the squad that reached last season’s Champions League quarter-finals before being eliminated by Arsenal.
Glasner is a long-time admirer of the defender and previously attempted to sign him during his time as Crystal Palace manager.
Forest chief football officer George Syrianos praised Diomande’s experience, physical presence and winning mentality, believing his success with Sporting will help him adapt quickly to life at the club.
His arrival follows Forest’s acquisition of Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager on a free transfer in July.