Nottingham Forest are expected to complete the signing of Ousmane Diomande over the next few days.
Evangelos Marinakis and his Nottingham Forest chiefs have managed to agree a £35m deal with Portuguese giants Sporting, which seems like terrific value in this market.
Diomande will become Oliver Glasner’s first signing since replacing Vitor Pereira as manager earlier this month.
A winning start for Glasner.. which three Forest players impressed you most vs Blackburn? 👏
Jesus 40', Kalimuendo 48', Awoniyi 51'
Ahead of his imminent transfer to the City Ground, Nottingham Forest News has spoken exclusively to Sporting expert Sam Fonseca to get the lowdown on the centre-back’s strengths, weaknesses and potential.
What are Ousmane Diomande’s strengths?
“I’d say Ousmane Diomande’s biggest strength is definitely his physicality,” Fonseca explained.
“I mean, just look at the size of him, he’s an absolute unit. But I think what’s quite underrated, because of his size, is just how comfortable he is on the ball.
“His passing, especially his long passing, has improved massively over the last year. You can tell he’s really worked on it, and it’s become a genuine asset for starting attacks. When you’ve got players like Gonçalo Inácio and Zeno Debast, who regularly break the lines with their passing, it was great to see Diomande develop that side of his game too.
“He’s still very young, so there’s plenty of room for improvement, but his technical ability on the ball has come on hugely. The physicality, strength and tackling have always been there, that’s never been in doubt. It was his distribution that needed to catch up, and I think he’s made massive strides in that area.”
Where would Nottingham Forest finish in the Premier League with a back three of Murillo, Diomande and Milenkovic?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Where can Diomande improve?
“In terms of negatives, I’d say Diomande has two main weaknesses. The first is probably his aerial ability. Even though he’s tall, strong and physically imposing, he’s actually not that dominant in the air. From attacking set pieces, you’d expect him to be more of a goal threat, but he hasn’t really been. He’s scored a couple, but not many, and there have been quite a few occasions where he’s been outjumped in aerial duels. For someone with his size, you’d expect that to be one of his biggest strengths, but for whatever reason, it just hasn’t been.
“The second weakness is his temperament. To be fair, we’ve seen a lot less of it this season, but he can be very hot-headed. A good example was the 2024/25 Champions League game against Arsenal, where he picked up a yellow card within the opening couple of minutes. That completely changed the way he had to defend because he couldn’t be as aggressive in the tackle, which is one of his biggest strengths.
“Then there was the game against Porto that same season, where he was sent off for headbutting an opponent in the closing stages. Sporting were already under pressure, and I think Mateus Reis had already been sent off, so the team was down to 10 men. It was a moment where he simply lost his head.
“I do think he’s matured since then, and we haven’t really seen those moments this season. Whether that’s because he’s developed mentally or because Sporting haven’t found themselves in as many emotionally charged situations is difficult to say. But until he consistently shows he can keep his composure in those high-pressure moments, I still think his temperament is the biggest question mark in his game.”
Which of our four strikers would you be inclined to move on if we sign Folarin Balogun or another striker this summer?
How do you think he’ll fare at Forest in the Premier League?
“I actually think Nottingham Forest is a really good move for Diomande. Modern teams are looking for centre backs with his profile: physical, athletic and comfortable on the ball, and he definitely ticks those boxes.
“Long term, I could see him playing for a club like Liverpool or Arsenal. But right now, I think there are still a few question marks around his game. As I mentioned earlier, some of his weaknesses can still be exposed at the highest level. A year ago I’d also have questioned his passing, but that’s something he’s improved massively over the last season.
“I also think he’ll suit Forest’s system. Under Oliver Glasner, we’ve seen defenders like Marc Guehi and Lacroix really thrive, and I think Diomande has the attributes to do something similar. It will also help depending on who he’s partnered with. If Forest keep someone like Murillo or Milenkovic alongside him, that could be a really strong partnership. Having an experienced, physically dominant centre back next to him would complement his game really well.
“That’s actually something Sporting haven’t really had since Sebastian Coates left. Goncalo Inacio is an excellent defender, but he’s a different profile, and Diomande hasn’t consistently had that physically dominant partner alongside him.
“I also see Forest as a stepping stone, and I don’t mean that as any disrespect to the club. We’ve seen players make that jump before, whether it’s Matheus Nunes going from Wolves to Manchester City or Matheus Fernandes from West Ham to Spurs. If Diomande develops the way I think he can, Forest could be the club that prepares him for that next step.
“I actually think it’s a smarter move than going straight to Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea. At Forest, the pressure and scrutiny aren’t quite as intense, which gives him the chance to settle into the Premier League, iron out the remaining flaws in his game, and develop naturally. If he does that, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the big boys in the Premier League or in Europe comes calling for him.”
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