Nottingham Forest have added another piece of African steel to their defence after completing the signing of Côte d’Ivoire international Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP.
Forest confirmed that the 22-year-old centre-back has signed a four-year contract at the City Ground, with the Premier League club holding an option for a further season.
For Diomande, it is a major step into English football after three successful years in Portugal. For Forest, it is the arrival of a defender already carrying domestic title experience, Champions League exposure and an Africa Cup of Nations winner’s medal.
Forest Chief Football Officer George Syrianos has described Diomande as a powerful and commanding defender whose experience at a young age fits the profile the club wanted.
That reputation has been built quickly.
Diomande joined Sporting in January 2023 after beginning his European career with FC Midtjylland and spending time on loan at Mafra.
He went on to establish himself in a Sporting side that won back-to-back Portuguese league titles and also lifted the Taça de Portugal. Forest say he made 132 appearances across all competitions for the Lisbon club.
His European résumé carries further weight.
Diomande played nine Champions League matches during Sporting’s 2025/26 campaign and featured across both legs of their quarter-final defeat to Arsenal.
Now comes a different examination: the Premier League
Forest have not recruited a defender arriving cold to elite pressure. Diomande has already experienced title races, major European nights and international competition with Côte d’Ivoire.
He was part of the Elephants squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 2024 and also featured for his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The move gives him an immediate connection inside the Forest dressing room through fellow Côte d’Ivoire international Ibrahim Sangaré.
Diomande has described Sangaré as a “big brother” and said having his international teammate at Forest should help him adapt to his new surroundings.
But familiarity will only soften the landing.
The real examination begins when Premier League forwards start testing Forest’s new No. 2.
Forest have already assigned Diomande that shirt number and integrated him into first-team preparations as he begins the next stage of a career that has accelerated rapidly through Portugal and onto one of football’s most demanding domestic stages.
For African football followers, the move puts another high-profile Côte d’Ivoire international in the Premier League spotlight.
For Forest, the calculation is sharper: they are backing Diomande’s physical authority, winning experience and development ceiling to translate into Premier League impact.
The transfer is complete. Now the pressure moves onto the pitch.
Cranse Sports
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