Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon, with the club paying a fixed fee of around £34.3m for the Côte d'Ivoire centre-back. The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year deal, with Forest holding an option to extend by a further year.
Head coach Oliver Glasner was the driving force behind the pursuit, having first attempted to bring Diomande to England during his tenure at Crystal Palace. Glasner, who took the reins at the City Ground earlier this summer, favours a 3-5-2 system and is expected to deploy Diomande alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo in a back three.
Diomande began his senior career in Denmark with FC Midtjylland before crossing to Sporting in January 2023. In the two and a half years that followed, he made 132 appearances for the Portuguese club across all competitions. He was a prominent figure in Sporting's Champions League campaign last season, starting both legs of their quarter-final against Arsenal, and has built a reputation as one of the more accomplished young defenders in European football.
The Ivorian has 15 caps for his country and was part of the Côte d'Ivoire squad at the 2026 World Cup, making one appearance in a group-stage win against Curaçao.
Forest chief football officer George Syrianos was eager to underline what the club believes Diomande brings to the dressing room. "He has fantastic experience for a defender of his age," Syrianos told BBC Sport. "Playing a crucial role in title-winning teams and going into the latter stages of the Champions League puts him in a great position to integrate well at Forest. Ousmane is a powerful, commanding defender, and arrives with a winning mentality."
The player himself spoke of the weight of the occasion. "I am very happy to be here. It is a historic club, and it motivates me to join such a club," Diomande told BBC Sport. "I believe we can achieve very good things this season and I am looking forward to meeting the players and head coach. I will give my best."
Diomande's arrival is the second notable piece of summer business for Forest, following the free-transfer capture of Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager in July.
Reporting: Sky Sports, BBC Sport, The Guardian.