Nottingham Forest have entered advanced negotiations to sign Sporting CP star Ousmane Diomand, under the direction of manager Oliver Glasner.
Journalist Josh Bunting suggested the Ivorian could be a wise signing for Forest given his ability to play in a back three, Glasner’s preferred system, saying: “Ousmane Diomand is a top signing for Nottingham Forest as he slots into the back three that Glasner likes to play.
“He had a very good World Cup with Ivory Coast. He’s the perfect modern defender, an elite ball player with that speed and every club is looking for a centre-back now.”
The 22-year-old is yet to prove himself in the Premier League, but having won two league titles with Sporting, he knows what it takes to compete for major honors, with his average of 6.2 points per 90 defensive contributions last season a team-high.
Murillo has attracted interest from Liverpool and signing a new centre-back this summer could be important for Tricky Trees, with growing signs that a deal for Diomande could materialize.
Nottingham Forest approaches Ousmane Diomand
Nottingham Forest are currently in advanced negotiations to sign the Sporting defender, with talks taking place with the Portuguese club and his agent, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Journalist Ben Jacobs suggested that a formal bid had not yet been submitted, but confirmed reports that an approach had been made and also revealed that Glasner was leading the pursuit and that Forrest was prepared to pay €40m (about £34m).
While Diomande has shown promising signs at Sporting, there are still question marks over whether he is a guaranteed signing, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Glasner’s side are reluctant to pay the full €80m ($68m) release clause.
Should Nottingham Forest sign Ousmane Diomand? | |
|---|---|
Strong Points | Disadvantages |
young, which means he has plenty of time to develop further | never played in the premier league |
He played in 18 games in the Champions League. | He only played 17 league games last season. |
He has already won 15 caps for Ivory Coast. | He was not trusted as a starter in the World Cup and only appeared once. |
The deal will appease Forest’s new manager as Glasner is a fan. | He has missed 17 games due to injury over the past two seasons. |
There is interest in Murillo and the Ivorian could be a long-term replacement. | I’m still inexperienced |
With Elliott Anderson joining Manchester City, Nottingham Forest will also need to sign a new central midfielder this summer, backed by the signing of Celtic star Arne Engels.
