Ousmane Diomandé Set for Premier League Move to Nottingham Forest
Ousmane Diomandé is on the brink of a Premier League move that says as much about Sporting Portugal’s business edge as it does about Nottingham Forest’s ambition.
According to transfer specialist David Ornstein of The Athletic, Sporting and Forest have reached an agreement for the 22-year-old centre-back in a deal worth €40 million to the Portuguese club. Diomandé is scheduled to fly to England as early as Saturday for his medical, and if all goes to plan, he will sign a five-year contract at the City Ground.
Forest go big at the back
This is not a speculative punt. Diomandé stands 1.90 metres tall, a right-footed defender built for the physical grind of English football but schooled in Sporting’s possession-heavy system. He only signed a new contract with the Lisbon club at the start of this year, tying him down until mid-2030 and protecting Sporting with an €80 million release clause.
They are now cashing out at half that figure. It still represents a huge profit.
Sporting picked him up in January 2023 from FC Midtjylland for a fee between €7.5 million and €12.5 million, with the Danish side smartly inserting a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Even with that slice heading to Denmark, Sporting’s margin is enormous on a player they developed for just a season and a half.
For Forest, the plan is clear. Diomandé is expected to slot into a back three alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo dos Santos, giving the team a blend of height, aggression and ball-playing ability. At the other end of the pitch, that platform is supposed to free the club’s attacking talent; at the back, it is meant to steady a side that has flirted too often with chaos.
He will not be alone in new surroundings. Diomandé will reunite with compatriot Ibrahim Sangaré, the former PSV midfielder who already anchors Forest’s midfield. That Ivorian connection could matter in the early weeks as the defender adapts to a new league, new language and new expectations.
A busy summer at the City Ground
Forest’s move for Diomandé continues an assertive summer. The club have already secured holding midfielder Xaver Schlager on a free transfer from RB Leipzig, a shrewd piece of business for a player with Champions League experience. They have also invested €20 million in attacking midfielder Gustavo Sá from FC Famalicão, a signing aimed at injecting more creativity between the lines.
Now comes the defensive pillar. The fees tell their own story: Forest are not just patching holes; they are trying to rebuild the spine of the team with players in their prime or approaching it, on long-term deals, with resale value baked in.
Sporting’s transfer machine keeps rolling
On the other side of the deal, Sporting’s summer window is turning into a masterclass in monetising talent.
Diomandé’s sale is their fourth major windfall in this window alone. Geovany Quenda’s move to Chelsea brought in €50 million. Morten Hjulmand left for Atlético Madrid for €40 million. Francisco Trincão departed to Al-Ahli in another €40 million deal.
Those headline figures are backed up by further business. Alisson Santos’ permanent switch to Napoli generated €16.5 million, while Diogo Travassos’ transfer to SC Braga added another €5.5 million to the pot.
The pattern is unmistakable: Sporting are selling at the top of the market, banking serious money while trusting their recruitment and academy to refresh the squad again. Diomandé is simply the latest proof that their model works.
Forest, meanwhile, are betting that this time, the profit will be theirs — not on the balance sheet, but on the pitch.
