Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Nottingham Forest Sign Sporting Defender Diomande in €40 Million Deal
Ousmane Diomande is a soccer player who stops other teams from scoring goals.
He comes from a country in Africa called Ivory Coast.
Diomande used to play for a club in Portugal called Sporting.
He helped Sporting win the league championship two years in a row.
Now he is moving to England to play for Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest paid about 40 million euros, which is a lot of money, for him to join.
He signed a contract that will keep him at the club for four years.
The team says he is a powerful and commanding defender.
They hope his winning mentality will help Forest do better this season.
Diomande also played for his country at the World Cup.
Nottingham Forest signed Ivory Coast centre back Ousmane Diomande from Sporting on a four-year contract with an option for a further year.
The deal is worth about €40 million ($46.16 million), according to Sporting.
The 22-year-old joined Sporting in 2023 and made 132 appearances in all competitions for the Lisbon side.
Diomande helped Sporting win back-to-back Primeira Liga titles in 2023-24 and 2024-25 plus the 2024-25 Portuguese Cup.
Diomande represented Ivory Coast at this year's World Cup, where they were eliminated by Norway in the round of 32.
Forest, who finished 16th in the Premier League last season, begin the league season at home to Leeds United on August 22.
- Who
- Nottingham Forest, Sporting, and Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande.
- What
- Nottingham Forest signed centre back Ousmane Diomande from Sporting on a four-year contract, with an option for a further year, in a deal worth about €40 million ($46.16 million).
- When
- Announced on Tuesday; Nottingham Forest begin their league season at home to Leeds United on August 22.
- Where
- Nottingham Forest (Premier League, England) and Sporting (Lisbon, Portugal).
- Why
- To bolster their defence ahead of the new campaign, having finished 16th in the Premier League last season and appointed Oliver Glasner as manager in July.
- Player
- Ousmane Diomande
- Nationality
- Ivory Coast
- Position
- Centre back
- Transfer fee
- About €40 million ($46.16 million)
- Contract
- Four years, with option for a further year
- Appearances for Sporting
- 132 in all competitions
- Major honours
- Back-to-back Primeira Liga titles (2023-24, 2024-25) and 2024-25 Portuguese Cup
- Forest's 2025-26 season opener
- Home to Leeds United on August 22