Ousmane Diomande: Nottingham Forest linked with Sporting and Ivory Coast defender

Ousmane Diomande, the Ivory Coast international currently at Sporting, has been linked with a move to Premier League club Nottingham Forest.

The 22-year-old centre-back is under contract with Sporting until 30 June 2030, meaning any potential transfer would involve the Portuguese club agreeing to an early sale. Diomande’s listed market value is €42m.

Diomande joined Sporting on 31 January 2023 and has since helped the club win the Portuguese championship twice, in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He also won the Portuguese Cup in 2025 and was named Liga Portugal Defender of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

Born in Abidjan, Diomande represents Ivory Coast and was part of the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024. He plays at centre-back, is right-footed and stands 1.90m tall.

The reported interest from Nottingham Forest comes with Diomande tied to Sporting on a long-term contract, while the latest assessment of the rumour places the likelihood of the move at 95%. No transfer has been confirmed, and Diomande remains a Sporting player.